Big Cat News

Zabu white tiger chasing ball 3

2012-02-14T16:08:00.001-05:00

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Zabu white tiger chasing ball 2

2012-02-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

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Zabu white tiger chasing ball

2012-02-14T16:07:00.001-05:00

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2 Hearts 2 Lynx

2012-02-14T13:43:00.001-05:00

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Handing out bloodcicle hearts

2012-02-14T13:30:00.001-05:00

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Flavio Tiger Birthday

2012-02-11T15:53:00.001-05:00

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Fun at Hoffman Porges Gallery event

2012-02-10T19:52:00.001-05:00

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
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Tourist sights tiger near Perunkundru hills

2012-02-10T02:29:00.001-05:00

A tiger spotted by a tourist at Kadavusathi area in Anamalai Tiger Reserve near Top Slip.

February 10, 2012

Officials confirm presence of tiger in the area

An auditor from Pollachi, Vivek, who was on tour to Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in the second week of January, sighted a tiger near Kadhavu Saathi near Perunkundru hills.

Vivek has furnished a photograph of a full-grown tiger, presumably a male.

ATR officials released the picture on Thursday and confirmed the tiger's presence in the area.

Top Slip Range Officer V.A. Saravanan said the place where the big cat was found was a high altitude area near Nerkundru, accessible from Ambuli rest house and Kozhikamudhi where the department had a camp for tamed/trained kumki elephants.

Even by conservative estimates, ATR, which lies closer to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, is estimated to have 15 tigers. The figures were arrived at on the basis of the previous census findings.

In December too a tiger was found in the sanctuary area. Cameras set up by ATR also had captured a few tigers.

However, a tiger in flesh and blood was a sight to behold, Mr. Saravanan said.

Beginning Friday, the ATR officials are embarking on a census to enumerate the tiger population, other predators and assess their prey density.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article2878570.ece

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

WWF Finds U.S. Grocery Retailers Stocking Toilet Paper Linked To Rain Forest Destruction

2012-02-10T00:55:00.002-05:00

New report highlights several retailers that have already dropped Paseo products, made from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) fiber.

Washington DC (PRWEB) February 08, 2012

American companies and consumers are inadvertently contributing to Indonesian rain forest and tiger habitat destruction by buying toilet paper and other tissue products made with fiber from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), according to a World Wildlife Fund report released today.

Don’t Flush Tiger Forests: Toilet Paper, U.S. Supermarkets, and the Destruction of Indonesia’s Last Tiger Habitats finds that APP, the fifth-largest tissue producer in the world, is rapidly expanding into the U.S. market with paper linked to rain forest destruction, originating from areas that are the last home for critically endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, and orangutans.

Products made with APP fiber, such as toilet paper, paper towels and tissue, are increasingly landing in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and hotels across the country under the Paseo and Livi brand names.

Eight large retailers – BI-LO, Brookshire Grocery Company, Delhaize Group (owner of Food Lion chain), Harris Teeter, Kmart, Kroger, SUPERVALU, and Weis Markets – have decided to stop carrying tissue products made with APP fiber during the last several months.

“We applaud the decision by these companies to remove these products from their stores,” said Jan Vertefeuille, head of WWF’s Tiger Campaign.

Since it began operating in Indonesia in 1984, WWF estimates that APP and its affiliates have pulped nearly 5 million acres of tropical forest on the island of Sumatra, which equals an area roughly the size of 4 million football fields or larger than the state of Massachusetts.

“Consumers shouldn’t have to choose between tigers and toilet paper,” said Linda Kramme, a WWF forest expert. “We’re asking retailers, wholesalers and consumers not to buy Paseo or Livi products until APP stops clearing rain forests in Sumatra.”

Fastest-growing toilet paper brand in the U.S.

APP distributes its tissue, paper and paper-based packaging products through a number of North American-based subsidiaries and affiliates, including Solaris Paper, Mercury Paper, Paper Excellence, Global Paper Solutions, and Eagle Ridge Paper.

In recent years, APP has greatly expanded into the U.S. tissue market, including through Paseo and Livi tissue products. Oasis Brands, which markets Paseo, announced in 2011 that Paseo had become the fastest-growing brand of toilet paper in the U.S. Paseo and Livi are also marketed as "away-from-home" products used in public restrooms in restaurants, office buildings, schools and hotels.

“More than 50 percent of shoppers say they consider sustainability when they shop, but Americans may not be aware that products used every day, like paper and tissue, can be linked to devastating impacts on forests in faraway places,” the report states.

To produce the report, WWF researched Paseo sales to U.S. grocery chains and found Paseo products being carried in grocery chains across the country in 2011. WWF contacted 20 grocers sourcing the largest amounts of Paseo to make them aware of Paseo's link to rain forest destruction.

The 12 companies identified and contacted, but that did not respond or commit to stopping Paseo sales, are:

Albertsons LLC
Giant Eagle
Hy-Vee
IGA
Ingles
K-VA-T (sold at Food City)
Lowes Food Stores
Marsh
Price Chopper
Roundy’s (sold at Roundy's, Pick'n Save, Rainbow and Copps)
Save Mart
Spartan

“We urge companies to be responsible stewards of the planet and stop carrying Paseo products until APP stops clearing rain forest,” Kramme said.

Trying to improve the pulp and paper sector

Paseo is produced with pulp from APP, a subsidiary of China-based Sinar Mas Group and one of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies. APP owns two pulp mills on the Indonesian island of Sumatra – one of them among the world’s largest – and is responsible for more deforestation in Sumatra than any other company, according to field investigations, government data and satellite imagery.

The research into APP and its Paseo and Livi tissue paper brands is part of efforts by WWF to encourage a more responsible pulp and paper sector, specifically by addressing the increase in the United States of pulp and paper products produced with rain forest fiber or from plantation fiber from converted rain forest.

WWF is working to ensure that North American paper sourcing no longer negatively impacts Indonesian natural forests and instead drives demand for paper from responsibly developed and managed Indonesian plantations. WWF also is working with other Indonesian pulp and paper producers willing to adopt better practices to bring more options to the marketplace.

Many responsible companies are already showing leadership. One of the easiest ways that companies and consumers can help is by buying tissue products made with fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or 100 percent recycled fiber to ensure they aren’t contributing to forest destruction, and urging retailers to stop selling brands linked to destructive practices.

To download the report and learn more about WWF’s tissue campaign, please visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/tp.

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/ to learn more.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9176718.htm

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

Crackdown on tiger poachers, 11 held

2012-02-10T00:21:00.000-05:00

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 09, 2012

A network of tiger poachers spanning across four states has been unearthed with the arrest of eleven members of three gangs in the last fortnight. Skin of eight leopard and tigers and five kilogram of bones have been seized from them. Their claim of killing eight to ten tigers in less than six months, which is about 40 percent of poaching incidents big cat deaths during the period, has caused panic.

"Their claim is alarming and we are verifying it," said a senior Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) official. About 18 tiger deaths, of which five were killed this January, have been reported in last one year.

Rise in tiger population from 1,411 to 1,706 in less than a year has pushed the big cats to the protected core areas, thereby making them vulnerable to poaching.

The WCCB officers arrested Dharambir and his four accomplices on Thursday from Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh, and seized skin of four leopards and one tiger.

The animals were apparently killed with the help of iron traps in Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.

They have claimed to have transported two consignments to an wildlife dealer in Delhi, identified as Lavi Singh. They were caught with animal parts in Haridwar.

WCCB officials believe that the consignment was meant for sale in the international market. Belinda Wright of NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India said the price of tiger parts has increased manifold in the international market. We have seen a sudden spurt in demand in the last few weeks which may be the cause of increase in poaching and seizures," she said.

The WCCB probe has confirmed Wright's apprehension after the arrest of a person and the seizure of tiger skin by customs officials in Siliguri, West Bengal. The probe has revealed that tigers were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh also.

The WCCB has been able to establish the links with Siliguri seizure with the network of poachers in these three states.

The officials are also trying to link the arrest of five persons in Kerala and the recovery of a leopard and tiger skin from them with international wildlife smugglers.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/National-network-of-tiger-poachers-busted/Article1-809187.aspx

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Ken Hagen Proposes Hillsborough County Animal Services go No Kill

2012-02-04T16:36:00.001-05:00

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
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Update For Tony The Truck Stop Tiger Via Animal Legal Defense Fund 1.30.2012

2012-02-02T23:40:00.001-05:00

January 30, 2012: Last Monday, Judge Caldwell denied a motion brought by Michael Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop (TTS) that sought to suspend Judge Caldwell’s order while Sandlin and TTS appealed. In other words, Tony would have stayed put at the truck stop until after the appeal ran its course, which could take months. Instead, Judge Caldwell’s order instructing the Department to revoke the permit will go into effect right away. Sadly, this does not necessarily mean Tony is leaving the truck stop soon. Sandlin has filed his own lawsuit against the Department, which has been temporarily restrained from taking any action to remove Tony. Our attorneys are doing everything they can to resolve these conflicting orders to make sure Tony makes his way to a humane, accredited sanctuary as soon as possible.

http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1859

Note: Please sign and share the new petition for Tony:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ldwf-ensure-tony-the-tiger-is-released-to-a-reputable-sanctuary

More ways to continue to advocate for Tony:

http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/how-long-should-you-try-until/

Original Post: http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/update-via-animal-legal-defense-fund-1-30-2012/

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

New doc says more tigers prowling North American backyards than Asian jungles

2012-02-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

A scene from the documentary "The American Tiger" is shown in a handout photo. Tigers, once best known as the stealthy predator of the jungle, are more likely to be found these days prowling a backyard enclosure in the United States as a status symbol.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-GAT Productions

By: Nelson Wyatt, The Canadian Press
Posted: 01/31/2012 12:38 PM Last Modified: 01/31/2012 1:00 PM

MONTREAL - Tigers, once best known as the stealthy predator of the jungle, are more likely to be found these days prowling a backyard enclosure in the United States as a status symbol.

That's something that surprised Montreal filmmakers Francis Delfour and Sebastien Tetrault when they were making "The American Tiger," to be broadcast Thursday on CBC-TV's "The Nature of Things."

Tigers living in captivity number between 5,000 and 10,000, the filmmakers say. Roughly 3,000 tigers now live in the wild.

The filmmakers got interested in the subject when they saw a news item a few years ago about a 400-pound pet tiger found in a New York City apartment building.

It took 20 police officers to sedate and remove the beast, which had been kept by its owner since it was a cub.

"Thirty, 40 years ago, it was seen as something cool and hip to have a tiger as a pet," Delfour says.

However, that has changed since environmental issues have gained prominence.

"Having a tiger today is like driving a Hummer through a bicycle lane," Tetrault quipped.

The first tigers were brought to the U.S. in the 1900s by circuses and, soon, cute little cubs were showing up in people's homes as there were no controls on breeding or sales.

Tiger ownership was regarded as little more than an oddity until 2003 when Las Vegas entertainer Roy Horn was mauled on stage by one of his big cats.

Similar incidents spurred calls for bans on private ownership and breeding, including an attempt at legislation pushed by actor Tippi Hedren, best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

There are no federal laws covering tigers in Canada either, although the debate and the tiger population here isn't as big a deal.

"The phenomenon is less important (here) than in the United States," Tetrault said, noting some zoos and sanctuaries have tigers. "You don't have the same fascination with showmanship of the tigers. You don't have entertainers using them at the same level that you have in the United States."

The U.S. debate is being argued on more than an animal rights and conservation basis — there are also economic arguments being made. The animals are used in the entertainment industry and that means jobs.

"The American tiger issue is a very sensitive one," Tetrault says, noting it took some coaxing to get private owners to talk because they were leery of bad publicity

He noted the private owners are also playing the conservation card, suggesting that the captive tigers could be used to help repopulate the wild.

"The private owners of these animals are saying they are keeping the animal alive, (that) it's better to have it in captivity than having no tigers at all," he said.

The captive tigers generally live longer that their wild counterparts and are fatter. Many of them are a mixture of different subspecies and scientists often dub the pampered critters "junk tigers."

Reintroducing them to the wild is being considered as a conservation method to preserve the species but it's still unknown if it's possible, for example, to teach the tigers bred in captivity to hunt.

Both Tetrault and Delfour saw the attraction of owning a tiger as they made the film.

"We were in close contact with those animals and that's an incredible feeling," said Delfour. "Your heart starts to beat faster."

He compared the relationship between many owners and their tiger to the one some people have with their tabby.

"When they're with their owners, they seem like they're big, furry, cuddly animals," Delfour said. "It's like having a big cat in your house.

"Their relationship with their owners, it's gentle and responsive. You can forget really easily that those are very dangerous animals."

But the filmmakers and their crew never forgot the maneater could very easily turn them into dinner and strict protocols were followed when around the animals.

Tetrault says he figures that only zoos will be able to own tigers in a few decades.

Both men hoped their film would clear up some of the myths still circulating about the majestic beasts.

"We still learn that tigers are free wild cats roaming the jungle of Asia," Delfour said. "That's not true anymore."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/TV/new-doc-says-more-tigers-prowling-north-american-backyards-than-asian-jungles-138414519.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Leopard Kissing Booth

2012-02-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

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Rescued tigers relocated to Murchison refuge

2012-01-28T03:04:00.000-05:00

Trio of cats plus two wolf hybrids at Black Beauty Ranch

Chad Wilson 2012-01-26

MURCHISON – The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, known for being the home of burros and horses that have been abused and neglected, joined with the Humane Society to rescue three tigers and two hybrid wolves from a roadside zoo in Mississippi.

A total of 11 animals were rescued from the Collins Zoo in Collins, Miss. late Wednesday after an in-depth investigation. Five of the animals were transported to the Murchison ranch while other sanctuaries took in the remaining six animals.

“Cleveland was always in the belief that any animal, regardless whether or not it was a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore, deserves a life free of cruelty. We have had many species here, although we did start out as a burro and horse rescue,” Black Beauty Ranch Director Ben Callison said. “We have evolved to have chimps, cougars and bobcats. All these animals deserve sanctuary and a chance to live a cruelty free life. I think Cleveland would be proud of what we have done today and we know that it was always his vision to help those animals in need. We love diversity here, we have 48 species, and we will accept any animal that is in need and these guys are a prime example of that.”

The rescue comes after the Humane Society of the United States conducted an in-depth undercover investigation and submitted legal complaints to the state documenting serious animal welfare issues as well as public safety concerns at the Collins Zoo. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks served a search and seizure warrant at the Collins, Miss. property that allowed them to seize three tigers, three cougars, two leopards, two wolf-hybrids and one Macaque monkey due to violations of state permit requirements.

Callison said Black Beauty Ranch was prepared to be the home of four adult tigers but one died before the seizure took place.

“The animals at the Collins Zoo have been forced to live in inhumane conditions for many years, and The Humane Society of the United States is relieved to finally be able to rescue these animals and help them begin new lives in appropriate sanctuaries,” said Lydia Sattler, Mississippi state director for The HSUS. “The situation at the unaccredited Collins Zoo is a prime example of the animal cruelty and public safety concerns that stem from our country’s unregulated exotic animal industry. This should be a wake-up call to lawmakers and communities around the country to crack down on the casual ownership of dangerous wild animals.”

In late 2009, The HSUS conducted an undercover investigation at Collins Zoo and then submitted legal complaints to the MDWFP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The investigation uncovered injured and malnourished animals and flimsy enclosures, including venomous snakes being held in unlocked enclosures accessible to the public. Since The HSUS’ investigation, conditions at the Collins Zoo remain poor.

When responders entered the property they found the animals housed in small pens with little space and no enrichment for these animals. These animals were underweight and suffering from a variety of medical ailments.

“We often times will see these types of roadside zoos with signs posted for people to stop and we ask for people to not visit these type of places because you are supporting this type of situation,” Callison said. “If you are going to go to a zoo, go to an accredited zoo. We ask that people support laws that stop exotic ownership of pets. These guys are not pets, they shouldn’t be pets. I believe what we saw in Ohio is a prime example of that.”

The HSUS provided animal handling, transportation and placement assistance for the rescue. Carolina Tiger Rescue of Pittsboro, N. C. provided sanctuary for one cougar and two leopards. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation of Kendalia, Texas will house two of the seized cougars. Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary of Dilley, Texas is providing sanctuary for the macaque monkey.

“This was a two-year investigation and it took us two years to get these guys out of there. If we had the correct laws this would have never happened in the first place,” Callison said.

The hybrid wolves, which seemed more like playful dogs in their temporary home in Murchison, will be transported to a facility in the northern United States in April.

Callison said he is unsure what will happen with the tigers once the HSUS investigation is complete, but he did make it clear he will do whatever is in the best interest of the large animals.

“We will do whatever is in the best interest of the tigers. If we can give them the habitat that they deserve long term then we will do that. If another sanctuary is indicated that can provide them something better than what we can, it is in the tiger’s best interest. It is all about them,” he said.

Tyler is the home of the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge and several big cats including tigers, lions and cougars, but Callison believes the facility is one of many in the nation that are overcrowded.

“I am not aware that Tiger Creek was contacted. There were quite a few sanctuaries contacted but they were full. I know this is a huge problem and that is why we had to step in and create these temporary enclosures,” he said. “Almost every single tiger sanctuary right now is at max capacity with the reality that in Texas there are more tigers in captivity with private ownership than there are left in the wild. This is a huge problem, one we don’t always realize is here, but it is worse in Texas that it is anywhere else. Although these guys were rescued in Mississippi, this is very much a Texas and nationwide problem. We need to work to resolve that.”

The male tiger, which took seven men to transport into the holding facility after tranquilization, has a few injuries the Ranch is looking into while the two female tigers both appear to be better shape.

“It is still early and they have just come out of the rescue. We don’t have all of their blood work back yet so we don’t exactly know what true condition they are in,” Callison said. “The initial physical evaluations are promising but we will have to find out more once we get the medical information back.”

According to Mississippi’s 16 WAPT News, the owners of the Collins Zoo are Gus and Betty White and they plan to fight to get the animals back. That fight might be tough as officials have said the couple discarded paperwork on several of the animals once they were aware the seizure would take place.

Callison said some animals remain at the zoo and could not be seized by the organization because the seizure only allowed for exotic animals. Some of the remaining animals include poisonous snakes which were reportedly in unlocked cages.

http://www.c-bstatesman.com/news/2012-01-26/Front_Page/Rescued_tigers_relocated_to_Murchison_refuge.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Phyl Graduates to Green

2012-01-27T13:04:00.001-05:00

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Navy Pier shuts down royal white tigers

2012-01-26T02:56:00.002-05:00

Royal white tiger Gita was on display Tuesday in the Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier. The exhibit, with two other royal white tigers, was shut down Tuesday when Navy Pier learned of animal cruelty allegations against the company that owns the tigers. ( José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune / January 24, 2012 )

TN Note: For information about white tigers please visit: http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2010/02/white-tigers-conserving-misery/

John Kass 9:52 p.m. CST, January 24, 2012

Navy Pier abruptly closed its popular "royal white tigers" — featuring Gita and her cubs — after I showed up Tuesday asking about an interesting fact:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revoking the white tiger owner's exhibition license for health and safety violations, including allegedly posing a danger to children.

The tiger show began Jan. 13 and was to run through Feb. 12. Navy Pier officials said they paid $27,000 to the company and had sold $16,500 in tickets so far.

According to court documents, the USDA found that Marcus Cook's company ZooCats Inc. "willfully violated" the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA has been hunting Cook for years now, alleging a long history of infractions.

"There is evidence that ZooCats trainers did not handle the animals properly, at times, using physical abuse with a cattle prod to train, work or control an animal during an exhibition," USDA spokesman Dave Sacks told us.

"They failed to provide a proper diet, treat animal illness and injury, and did not keep proper facilities. … The USDA has revoked ZooCats' animal exhibition license," Sacks said.

Officials also said the trainers let spectators at previous exhibitions get too close to the tigers — though not at Navy Pier.

All Navy Pier had to do was put Cook's name into Google. But apparently no one did, and now nobody wants to own up to the white tiger idea. I figured it was some Chicago political appointee who missed Las Vegas and the old Siegfried & Roy tiger shows that came to a rather abrupt end in 2003, particularly for Roy.

Cook denied the USDA's claims. He blamed USDA bureaucrats, particularly a higher-up, Sarah L. Conant. Cook claimed she's an animal rights activist with a political agenda aimed at eliminating all traveling zoos, exhibitors and other such entertainments from the American landscape.

USDA officials would not make Conant available for comment, but added that the agency has no political agenda but merely follows the law.

"You've got some bureaucrats who want us gone," Cook told me. "They're activists with agendas working for the USDA. We treat the animals well. We don't use cattle prods. We don't put children in danger. But these animal rights types don't want exhibitors around. You watch. Soon they'll tell you that you shouldn't have a dog because it's unkind to 'own' one."

My own opinion? Actually, I like the tigers. I like zoos, and I like smaller exhibitions like this one. But then, I've always been drawn to such things. I won't abide cruelty. But like many of you, I'm fascinated by critters.

The impulse to protect beautiful wild things like tigers is important, but traveling zoos and exhibitions aren't the reason tiger populations have dwindled to almost nothing in the wild. The loss of habitat is a reason. And killing tigers for their body parts — to satisfy the barbaric demands of alternative Asian medicine — is what marks them collectively for death.

At Navy Pier, you could see the tigers up close. The exhibit area was clean and didn't smell, and the tigers seemed healthy and well-fed. I spent hours there watching them, like the boy I once was, the one who wanted to go to Ontario Veterinary College or become a naturalist.

They were white like the color of old parchment, an off-white, with a slight yellow tinge, and the dark stripes were the color of melted chocolate. They were big and quiet and they had beautiful square heads. What I didn't want to think about was critics saying that they're mutants, inbred to maintain that aberrant white coloring.

We were at a distance from the tigers, behind a perimeter fence about 8 or more feet from the enclosure, and there was no way to reach them.

I'm still trying to figure out who's really at fault here, if anyone. And I feel bad about the tigers leaving and the kids who won't get a chance to see them.

"They're cool," said Bradley Tarjan, 8, of the Northwest Side. He was there with his aunts.

"They're white. And they're cool. And they're so big," Bradley said. "They're so cool."

And now they're so gone.

"Based on the information we received today, effective immediately we are ending the exhibit and our contractual relationship with Mr. Cook's company," said Nick Shields, a spokesman for Navy Pier.

Have there been unscrupulous critter shows and circus cruelty in the past? Of course. But is Cook's show one of them? I can't tell. The USDA makes a compelling case, and the anecdotal evidence on top of all that is troubling.

But what worries me is that the crackdown on the white tigers may be used to condemn all zoos and exhibitions as inherently cruel, in part because they hold animals captive for our interest and enjoyment.

I think saving such beautiful predators is more complicated than a slogan.

If humans don't attach themselves emotionally to the big cats, they will disappear. Their bones will be ground into powder and sold. Their habitat will be plowed and planted.

Already, the white tigers are gone from Navy Pier.

jskass@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0125-20120125,0,3104247.column

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

Tigers and Other Exotic Animals Seized from Mississippi Roadside Zoo

2012-01-26T02:16:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Kathy Milani/The HSUS

More photos: http://slideshows.humanesociety.org/index/gallery/6/album/126?flash=0

January 25, 2012

Humane Society of the United States undercover investigation leads to multi-agency rescue mission

The Humane Society of the United States joined with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation and Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary to rescue 11 exotic animals from the Collins Zoo, an unaccredited roadside facility.

The rescue comes after HSUS conducted an in-depth undercover investigation and submitted legal complaints to the state documenting serious animal welfare issues as well as public safety concerns at the Collins Zoo. The MDWFP served a search and seizure warrant at the Collins, Miss., property that allowed them to seize three tigers, three cougars, two leopards, two wolf hybrids, and one Macaque monkey due to violations of state permit requirements.

The MDWFP asked The HSUS to coordinate the temporary placement of these animals at qualified sanctuaries until a judge determines the custody of the animals. The HSUS received permission from the MDWFP to transport these animals to several out-of-state sanctuaries. The HSUS will care for the three rescued tigers at its Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, operated in Texas by its affiliate The Fund for Animals, and the two wolf hybrids will also stay at Black Beauty Ranch until the animals’ custody is determined.

"The animals at the Collins Zoo have been forced to live in inhumane conditions for many years, and The Humane Society of the United States is relieved to finally be able to rescue these animals and help them begin new lives in appropriate sanctuaries," said Lydia Sattler, Mississippi state director for The HSUS.

She continued, "The situation at the unaccredited Collins Zoo is a prime example of the animal cruelty and public safety concerns that stem from our country’s unregulated exotic animal industry. This should be a wake-up call to lawmakers and communities around the country to crack down on the casual ownership of dangerous wild animals."

In late 2009 The HSUS conducted an undercover investigation at Collins Zoo and then submitted legal complaints to the MDWFP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The investigation uncovered injured and malnourished animals and flimsy enclosures, including venomous snakes being held in unlocked enclosures accessible to the public. Since The HSUS's investigation, conditions at the Collins Zoo remained poor.

When responders entered the property they found the animals housed in small pens with little space and no enrichment for these animals. These animals were underweight and suffering from a variety of medical ailments.

Groups and Roles

• The HSUS: animal handling, transportation and placement assistance
• Carolina Tiger Rescue of Pittsboro, N.C.: sanctuary for one cougar and two leopards
• Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation of Kendalia, Texas: housing for two cougars
• Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary of Dilley, Texas: sanctuary for the Macaque monkey

High-quality video and photos of the rescue mission will be available by email request to the media contact below. Video of the undercover investigation and copies of HSUS's legal complaints are also available.

Media Contact: Jordan Crump: 240-654-2964, jcrump@humanesociety.org

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/01/tigers_other_exotic_01252012.html#id=album-126&num=content-2388

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

New Petition For Tony: Please Sign!!

2012-01-21T22:01:00.002-05:00

A new petition for Tony was posted on http://www.change.org/ asking the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to ensure Tony is released to a reputable sanctuary. It’s important to keep Tony’s story active, networked, and to let people know he is still at the truck stop and their support is still needed. Please sign and share – there are easy share options at the petition link for email, Facebook and Twitter.

Twice a judge has ruled in favor of Tony, barring the LDWF from issuing any further permits and at the last hearing, also revoking the current permit. Tony remains at the truck stop despite these rulings. Talk of his possible move to an exotic animal park which is nothing more than a roadside zoo is truly disturbing. LDWF must ensure he is relocated to a humane reputable big cat sanctuary that can provide the proper habitat, diet, medical care and enrichment Tony needs and deserves.

Thank you again for your support and for advocating on behalf of Tony, which also importantly raises awareness for the thousands of other privately owned tigers in the United States who need our voice.

About This Petition

Why This Is Important

Tony, a Siberian-Bengal tiger, has lived his eleven years as a roadside attraction at a truck stop in Louisiana. In two court hearings, May 6th, 2011 and November 2nd, 2011, Judge Caldwell agreed with The Animal Legal Defense Fund (representing Tony) and their argument that the permit that allows his owner to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. On May 6th, 2011 Judge Caldwell granted a permanent injunction blocking LDWF from issuing a new permit to Tony’s owner, and on November 2, 2011 he again prohibited the LDWF from issuing any new permits to the truck stop and ordered the current permit revoked,

Despite these two rulings in Tony’s favor, he remains at the truck stop due to appeals and yet another lawsuit filed by his owner, most recently on January 2nd, 2012. http://theadvocate.com/news/1713218-123/another-suit-filed-in-grosse.html

There have been recent reports about Tony’s possible move to an exotic animal park if his owner is forced to give him up. This ”park” is under investigation by the USDA for the deaths of 23 tiger cubs. http://theadvocate.com/home/1608646-125/oklahoma-park-probed-in-tiger.html This, as well as the conditions and practices of this “park” (which include exploiting tiger cubs in hands-on exhibits and photo ops) is of great concern to Tony’s supporters. Tony belongs at a true sanctuary, not another “roadside zoo.”

Please sign this petition asking the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to ensure that Tony is relocated to a reputable humane big cat sanctuary that can provide the home, care and life he needs – and has always deserved.

Petition Letter

LDWF: Ensure Tony The Tiger Is Released To A Reputable Sanctuary

Louisiana Deaprtment of Wildlife Representatives:

I respectfully request that you, as a representative of The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, ensure that Tony, an 11 year-old tiger used as a roadside attraction at Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, is relocated to a reputable, humane, accredited big cat sanctuary.

On November 2, 2011, Judge R. Michael Caldwell ruled in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Louisiana taxpayers in their lawsuit to free Tony from the truck stop. Judge Caldwell agreed with ALDF’s argument that the permit that allows Mr. Sandlin to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The judge ordered the Department to revoke the current permit and prohibited it from issuing any new permits to the Tiger Truck Stop. Despite this ruling Tony remains at the truck stop due to the appeals and recent lawsuit by his owner.

Reports about Tony’s possible move to an “exotic animal park,” under investigation by the USDA for the deaths of 23 tiger cubs as well as the conditions and practices of this “park” which include exploiting tiger cubs in hands-on exhibits and photo ops are of great concern to myself and supporters of Tony worldwide.

References:

http://theadvocate.com/home/1608646-125/oklahoma-park-probed-in-tiger.html

http://www.insideedition.com/news/7266/inside-edition-investigates-tigers-as-shopping-mall-attractions.aspx

Clearly this facility does not comply with the following sanctuary criteria as defined by The Captive Wildlife Safety Act:

• Must be a non-profit entity that is tax exempt under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Cannot engage in commercial trade in big cat species, including their offspring, parts, and products made from them
• Cannot breed big cats
• Cannot allow direct contact between big cats and the public at their facilities
• Must keep records of transactions involving covered cats
• Must allow the Service to inspect their facilities, records, and animals at reasonable hours

Reference:

http://www.fws.gov/le/pdffiles/CWSA_Factsheet.pdf

It is imperative Tony be released to a sanctuary that is humane, reputable and in compliance with the above stipulations. Accredited big cat sanctuaries stand ready to provide Tony with a natural habitat, proper diet, medical care, and enrichment.

Tony represents one of an estimated 5,000 – 10,000 privately owned tigers in the United States whose numbers are greater than tigers left in the wild. Captive tigers can live 15-20 years with quality care. Tony has spent over a decade on display in the unhealthy and unnatural environment of a truck stop.

Please ensure that Tony finally has the life, care and home he needs and deserves by releasing him to an accredited reputable humane big cat sanctuary and not another roadside zoo.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Direct Link To Petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ldwf-ensure-tony-the-tiger-is-released-to-a-reputable-sanctuary

Feral Cats Being Killed

2012-01-13T15:26:00.001-05:00

Loews Hotels at Universal Studios-FL has reportedly decided to KILL feral cats on their property and they have hired exterminators, Steritech, to inhumanely trap and euthanize the colony; even after they have been educated on the benefits of managing the colony at the caregivers' expense.

YOU CAN HELP by contacting the man responsible for this fight:

David Bartek, at DBARTEK@LOEWSHOTELS.COM . 407.503.9000

A simple plea will make a huge impact! Let them know you WILL not stay at Loews Hotels should they proceed with this plan. You can also post on Trip Advisor that Loews Hotels is killing defenseless cats. Please cross post and get the word out right away if we have any chance at all of saving them.

Thank you - League of Humane Voters - Florida

Feral Cats Being Killed

2012-01-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

YOU CAN HELP by contacting the man responsible for this fight:

David Bartek, at DBARTEK@LOEWSHOTELS.COM . 407.503.9000

Thank you - League of Humane Voters - Florida

Snuggle Tigers at Big Cat Rescue

2012-01-13T14:08:00.001-05:00

First iPhone Post to Blogger

2012-01-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

Let's see

Black leopard break dance

2012-01-13T11:04:00.001-05:00

IMG_1773.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Howie's muse

2012-01-10T18:33:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tiger sanctuary in Chatham Co. welcomes visitors

2012-01-10T01:33:00.000-05:00

Rajaji, 14, patrols his enclosure at Carolina Tiger Rescue, which gives weekend tours for visitors such as Rob Allen of Morrisville, right. Rajaji lived up to his prickly reputation by trying to spray the tour group. Photos by Corey Lowenstein

BY ANNE BLYTHE - ablythe@newsobserver.com
Published Sun, Jan 08, 2012 04:12 AM
Modified Mon, Jan 09, 2012 03:31 PM

PITTSBORO -- Out in rural Chatham County, where it is common to hear cattle lo, horses whinny and even a coyote bay, growls and roars more typical to the wilds of Asia or Africa also rise from a large, secluded property not far from Pittsboro.

There are lions and tigers at the Carolina Tiger Rescue sanctuary and preserve, and there's a host of avid volunteers ready to show off the big cats and other exotic animals in their midst.

Anita Letkemann, September's volunteer of the month, leads eager adults and children along gravel and gnarled forest paths on Saturday morning. Her first stop is at a fenced area where a caracal, a slender, long-legged cat with large, Spock-like, black-tufted ears, paces and climbs.

She moves on to a nearby ocelot, or dwarf leopard, as the cats from Central America and the southern United States were sometimes called. Their spotted pelts at one time were a favorite among furriers, who would stitch together 30 to 35 to make one coat.

As Letkemann explains how ocelots are starting to make a comeback in the wilds of Texas, Maria Maschauer, another volunteer, slips into the enclosed area with a bottle of Obsession and peppermint extract. She spritzes the perfume and dabs the extract on an old Christmas tree and waits.

The ocelot makes its way over to the tree, gives it a big sniff and walks away. Not for long, though. Soon the cat has its nose to the ground making a wide circle around the tree, seemingly obsessed with finding the source of the Obsession.

At Carolina Tiger Rescue's sanctuary and the Conservators' Center, an exotic animal sanctuary in Caswell County near Mebane, undecorated Christmas trees are a big hit.

The sanctuaries not only encourage people to leave their evergreens for the exotic animals, they stage tours, tree tosses and other events to entice new visitors and generate enthusiasm for saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.

Carolina Tiger Rescue evolved two years ago from the Carnivore Preservation Trust, which was started in the early 1980s as a captive breeding program for such species as ocelots, servals and binturongs.

The nonprofit organization ceased its breeding program in 2000 after species survival plans began to include genetic registries to ensure diversity in the captive population. Still, the organization realized there remained a dire need for homes for displaced wildcats and the rescue operation grew from that.

Lives of the tigers

Now the sanctuary, tucked off Hanks Chapel Road in eastern Chatham County, typically has about 70 animals - 19 of which are tigers, each with its own story.

Some started off as entertainers in fancy Mexican hotels and beachfront photo booths before outgrowing their cute cub stage and being shipped to Chatham County.

An African serval named Elvis was left in a crate in the driveway with a note stating his family no longer could care for him. It was signed, "Love Me Tender, Elvis."

Lucky, a tiger, was rescued after being found in the back seat of a car in Michigan.

Tex, a tiger that lives in the same enclosed area as Jelly Bean, a blue-eyed white tiger whose original owner could not sell him on the Asian market, was rescued from a truck stop.

Rajaji, a very social tiger who came to Chatham County from a small zoo in Wake Forest, pranced back and forth in his enclosed area Saturday morning to the small tour group's many "oohs" and "aahs." His arthritic legs did not seem to be hampering his movement.

The old guy has a reputation for spraying audiences.

"If you see him turn around and lift his tail," Letkemann advised, "move to the left or right."
And sure enough, Rajaji lived up to his reputation, lifting his tail and sending an aroma in the air that Letkemann likened to buttered popcorn.

Visitors impressed

Keith Gavigan, education director at Carolina Tiger Rescue, is wild about the big cats at the sanctuary.
"They are charismatic, they are the top of the food chain - powerful, beautiful, majestic and super cool," he said.

And judging from the reaction of the young and old who took the tour, Gavigan is not alone in his thinking.

Annamarie and Larry Nelson, a couple from Sneads Ferry in Onslow County, said the three-hour drive was well worth their time on Saturday morning.

Julianne Smith, 6, and her sister Ella Smith, 5, have kitty cats at home. But the girls were thrilled their dad, Jason Smith, had arranged the outing from Cary.

Julianne was taken by the white tiger and fascinated by the one cat's obsession with Obsession. Her little sister had difficulty selecting which part of the tour was her favorite.

"I liked all of it," Ella said.

A roar of success from a preschooler.

http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/08/1761120/big-cats-and-the-curious.html

Young tigers draw raves as they make public debut

2012-01-09T23:45:00.000-05:00

Marta stays close to her twin Amur tiger cubs, now on exhibit at the Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio. THE BLADE/LORI KING

BY TANYA IRWIN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Published: 1/6/2012 - Updated: 2 days ago

Two of the Toledo Zoo's most anticipated young residents got a warm welcome Friday morning from zoo employees, volunteers, and the public as they went on exhibit for the first time.

Viktor and Talya -- born Sept. 26 to first-time mother Marta -- are Amur tiger cubs, a critically endangered species. The cubs, which weigh about 35 pounds, are expected to reach their mother's weight of 325 to 350 pounds.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view images

The tiger family is scheduled for daily public viewing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Later, they will be on exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

However, weather and exhibit conditions, and/or the animals' continued well-being could require temporarily moving them from public exhibit, said Dr. Randi Meyerson, curator of mammals.

Marta, who was born at the Toledo Zoo in 2003, has been an excellent mother, Dr. Meyerson said. "We are really happy Marta raised them on her own (without a lot of assistance from the zookeepers)," she said. "It's always nice when cubs are mother-reared."

Dr. Meyerson and her staff had no contact with Marta and the cubs during the first 24 hours of their lives. They then had very limited contact for the first week, not even coming into physical contact with the young creatures for three weeks, she said.

Most of the cubs' nutrition is still from nursing but they are eating small amounts of their mother's ground meat diet.

"The cubs will remain here at least for two years, and Talya could stay longer with her mother," Dr. Meyerson said. At 2 years old it will be necessary to move Viktor so he doesn't try to breed with his mother or sister, she added. Talya might be bred, giving the zoo a third generation of cubs.

"The Tiger Species Survival Program does space surveys before any new breeding occurs to make sure possible new homes are available," she said. The Amur tiger's life expectancy is about 15 years, she said.
Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are the largest tiger subspecies. About 143 Amur tigers live in about 53 Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoos. Originally, eight subspecies existed; three of those subspecies are now extinct. The five remaining subspecies, including the Amur tiger, are critically endangered because of habitat loss and fragmentation as well as poaching of both tigers and their prey.

Art Dorf, a Toledo resident and 15-year-volunteer at the zoo, was among the first to see the cubs on exhibit.

"Talya is definitely more curious," he said, adding that on Tuesday when the cubs were shown briefly to volunteers, she was pressing her giant paws up against the glass.

Wendi Davis of Carleton, Mich., and her two home-schooled daughters, Lorna, 8 and Shelby, 6, were among the first zoo-goers to see the cubs.

"I've seen their pictures on the zoo's Facebook page," Mrs. Davis said. "To get to see them in person is pretty exciting." Her daughters agreed, squealing as they took pictures. "My cat at home does that," said Lorna, as Viktor prepared to pounce on his sister.

Zoo-goers will be asked to pony up a few more dollars this year to cover increasing costs at the zoo.
For the first time in three years, the zoo is raising its admission prices and introducing a two-tier admission structure that gives Lucas County residents a break.

But next weekend -- Jan. 14 to 16 of Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend -- admission is free for Lucas County residents.

And Lucas County residents with valid ID will continue to be admitted free every Monday (except holidays when the zoo is closed) between 10 a.m. and noon.

As of Monday, daily admission went up $3 while giving a $2 discount to Lucas County residents.

Lucas County residents will be charged $5 for adults and $3.50 for children in January and February, and in November and December. Other visitors will be charged $7 for adults and $5.50 for children.

From March to October, the Lucas County rate will be $12 for adults and $9 for children and seniors. Other visitors will be charged $14 for adults and $11 for children and seniors.

The zoo's annual family membership rate also has increased from $71 to $73 for Lucas County families and $79 for others.

The zoo is opens daily at 10 a.m. Closing times vary by the season.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/01/06/Young-tigers-draw-raves-as-they-make-public-debut.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Killer tiger resurfaces in Kodagu

2012-01-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

TNN Jan 10, 2012, 01.56AM IST

MADIKERI: The tiger, which attacked and injured three buffaloes on Friday, killed a cow on Saturday night at Netkundh near Birunani in South Kodagu. Chottangada Rohith found the half-eaten carcass of his cow near its shed.

People in South Kodagu are fearful because the tiger, which claimed several livestock in October and November last year, has resurfaced. A forest department team had kept cages to capture it. These men were relieved when the tiger's pugmark was seen about 500 metres from the Kallalla forest touching Nagarahole on Nov. 9. No incidents were reported after that in Kanoor, Shrimangala, T Shettigeri and Hudikeri villages.

The trouble spot is on the Birunani Kodagu - Kerala border. Shrinivas Naik, the Shrimangala wildlife range forest officer, told TOI a leopard may have attacked the cattle. The incidents happened at Birunani near Brahmagiri wildlife forest range and the animal probably arrived from this forest he said, adding, "We are trying our best to chase the animal back to the forest by bursting crackers in the bushes and trees," Naik said. The animal can be identified only after veterinarians survey these area, he added.

KA Manu of Birunani villager and Kanoor villager S.P.Mahadevappa told TOI villagers are afraid to move about freely on work and students are tense on their way to school and back. After class, students reach home by about 7pm and they tremble with fear on their way back. Virajpet taluk in-charge deputy conservator of forests Anand said cages would be kept in certain points to capture the animal. He said forest guards in groups will try and capture the tiger.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Killer-tiger-resurfaces-in-Kodagu/articleshow/11429631.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Moving Breezy Bobcat

2012-01-08T17:31:00.001-05:00

IMG_1684.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Breezy

2012-01-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

IMG_1683.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tiger attack in zoo leaves three-year-old boy critical

2012-01-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

By METRO WEB REPORTER - 5th January, 2012

A three-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being attacked by a tiger at a travelling zoo in Russia.

The child had been posing for a photograph with the big cat next to a small fence when he was clawed in the head by the tiger, sustaining horrific injuries.

A man nearby tried to stop the attack, which took place in Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region of Russia.

'I hit it [the tiger] with a stick, there was a metal thing on it. But it clutched the kid very tight,' he said.

The young boy was rushed to the Amur Regional Hospital for emergency treatment.

A doctor said: 'The boy was brought in a bad condition, he had an emergency operation which lasted several hours.

'He is in intensive care now, in a bad condition. It is hard to give any prognosis so far.'

Sky News reports an official of the Amur Regional Investigative Committee as saying that an investigation is looking into the incident.

'According to the information we have, the tiger was not inside the cage, it was between the fence and the cage, so it was free,' he said.

'It was attached by a chain, but people were allowed behind the fence to take photographs.'

Video: Check out the Russian zoo where the attack occurred

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/886499-tiger-attack-in-zoo-leaves-three-year-old-boy-critical

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

India's first anti-poaching tiger force begins work

2012-01-05T01:01:00.000-05:00

By Habib Beary
Bangalore
4 January 2012
Last updated at 07:04 ET

India's first forest ranger unit charged specifically with preventing tiger poaching has gone into action.

The 54-member force will patrol tiger reserves in national parks straddling the borders of Karnataka, Tamil Nado and Kerala states in the south.

The Special Tiger Protection Force has received training in jungle survival and weapons use.

Tiger numbers have shrunk alarmingly in recent decades. A census last year counted about 1,700 tigers in the wild.

A century ago there were estimated to be 100,000 tigers in India.

Numbers up

"The force is operational," Karnataka conservation official BK Singh told the BBC. "They will deal with poachers and hunters."

The Special Tiger Protection Force was formed by the forest and environment ministry on the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Karnataka authorities.

With their special training course completed, the unit has moved into Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks, south of Bangalore.

The forested region has the highest number of tigers in India, according to a census released in March 2011 by the forest and environment ministry.

India's tiger numbers have shrunk from 100,000 to 1,700 in a little over 100 years Karnataka state, which has six tiger reserves, has about 300 tigers, followed by Madhya Pradesh in the north with 257.

The census indicated that tiger numbers had increased to 1,706 from 1,411 at the last count in 2007.

Officials say conservation efforts by the government and wildlife organisations have helped tiger and elephant populations increase.

But poaching remains a threat, with some 25 tigers killed in Karnataka alone since 2006.

A second tiger force will be set up in the eastern state of Orissa.

Senior National Tiger Conservation Authority official Rajesh Gopal said 13 tiger reserves in seven states across the country had been identified for special measures to protect the big cats.

Tiger expert Ullas Karanth said the new force would go a long way toward saving tigers from poachers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16410137

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Another suit filed in Grosse Tete tiger case

2012-01-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

U.S. permit came first, man argues

BY JOE GYAN JR.
Advocate staff writer
January 04, 2012

The owner of a Grosse Tete truck stop filed suit Tuesday in Baton Rouge against the state of Louisiana and Iberville Parish in a last-ditch effort to continue keeping a 550-pound tiger on display at the facility.

Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin argues he and his truck stop have held a federal permit since 1988 to keep tigers at the truck stop, and Tony, a Siberian-Bengal mix, has been kept there lawfully for 10 years.

Sandlin contends the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, a defendant in his lawsuit, lacks statutory and constitutional authority to prohibit ownership of big cats by owners with federal permits.

“I think this is an important lawsuit,’’ Sandlin said. “It will set a precedent for animal owners all over the country.’’

Sandlin’s lawsuit also claims the litigation is important for exotic animals.

“The fact is that the exotic animals in the wild are disappearing at alarming rates because of the illegal activity of criminal poachers. Thus, private ownership and exhibits like Sandlin’s and Tiger Truck Stop’s has become the safe haven for these most precious of our endangered commodities,’’ the lawsuit said.

“Making it more difficult and expensive to assist with preserving these precious species is only furthering the likelihood that private citizens will stop assisting with the fight to prevent the complete extinction of these animals.’’

Animal Legal Defense Fund staff attorney Matthew Liebman said Sandlin’s lawsuit is “baseless and without merit.’’

“We are confident that the state of Louisiana and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries acted well within their legal authority when they decided to protect both the public and big cats like Tony by restricting private ownership of wild animals,’’ he said.

A spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s Office, Amanda Larkins, said the state’s attorneys were unable to comment on the lawsuit because they were in the process of reviewing it.

Sandlin’s lawsuit comes two months after a state District Court judge ruled Tony is not permitted by state law to remain at the truck stop off Interstate 10.

Judge Mike Caldwell said a state permit can be issued only to an individual, not a corporation, and Tiger Truck Stop is the permit holder, not Sandlin.

Caldwell barred Wildlife and Fisheries from issuing any new permits to keep Tony on display.

Tiger Truck Stop’s state permit expired Dec. 31.

The ruling, which came in a lawsuit that the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed last year against Wildlife and Fisheries, is being appealed by Sandlin, who intervened in the lawsuit.

Caldwell’s judgment is not final until the appeals process runs its course.

If Sandlin’s appeal is ultimately denied, Wildlife and Fisheries has said it would give Sandlin 30 days to move Tony to a sanctuary of Sandlin’s choosing.

In its suit, the Animal Legal Defense Fund cited a 2006 Louisiana law that prohibits the private ownership of large and exotic cats.

The law includes a grandfather exception that allows people to keep exotic cats as pets as long as the animals were legally owned before Aug. 15, 2006, when the law went into effect.

Tony was not legally owned by Tiger Truck Stop before that date because a 1993 Iberville Parish ordinance prohibits anyone from owning wild, exotic or vicious animals for display or exhibition, the Animal Legal Defense Fund said.

Sandlin’s lawsuit said the 2006 state law and the 1993 Iberville Parish ordinance are unconstitutional.

Wildlife and Fisheries has never been given any authority over exotic animals because exotic animals are not indigenous to the state, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also said the Iberville ordinance does not have an exception for persons with proper permits under federal law.

Sandlin’s lawsuit was assigned to state District Judge Janice Clark.

http://theadvocate.com/home/1713218-125/another-suit-filed-in-grosse.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tiger count in south states this month

2012-01-02T23:24:00.001-05:00

Sreenivas Janyala
Posted: Tue Jan 03 2012, 00:03 hrs
Hyderabad:

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will start conducting its annual estimation of tigers in Kawal and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserve (NSTR) along with other tiger reserves in southern states later this month.

For Kawal tiger reserve where at least four to six tigers are known to exist, it is the moment of truth. Tribals, who are opposed to the new tiger reserve because they may be asked to relocate, claim that there are no tigers there, and are protesting and creating hurdles for the tiger reserve. Forest officials say that they will pay special attention to Kawal during the exercise to prove that it is home for a few tigers.

Camera traps and unofficial estimation in the NSTR indicated the presence of new tigers last October. The total tiger population in the reserve is estimated to be 70 to 90, including several cubs.

A two-day training camp for field officers and forest officials of southern states starts at Bandipur on January 4. Known as Phase IV of All India Tiger Estimation, the decision to monitor tiger populations annually, instead of once every four years, was taken in May last year. Phase IV of the All India Tiger Estimation is an exercise in intensive, annual monitoring of source tiger populations in 41 reserves. Hundreds of cameras will be placed for 45 to 60 days at a gap of 1 km to identify and record tigers.

Field officers will also use traditional methods like tracking pugmarks. The latest models of camera traps and estimation methods have been developed by Dr K Ullas Karanth of Wild Conservation Society (India).

Chief Conservator of Forests (Project Tiger) A K Naik says the estimation of tigers will now be conducted specifically in reserves every year. “The practice of census conducted in all wildlife sanctuaries and national parks will be conducted every four years as usual but in tiger zones, estimation will be conducted annually from now,” Naik said. Besides tigers, the condition and health of the habitat and ecosystem, and availability of prey base and prey population will also be taken into account.

The NTCA is providing necessary equipment and has allotted Rs 35 lakh grant this year to conduct the exercise. Besides forest officers, external experts who will monitor the estimation exercise are also being appointed. Imran Siddiqui of Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society has been appointed as outside expert for Andhra Pradesh.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Tiger-count-in-south-states-this-month/894956/

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

‘Tiger skin old or new, crime is crime’

2012-01-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

Posted On Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 06:05:17 AM

Ravi Kumar, V Harish and Varun Kumar, all 19 years of age and studying in a college in Mysore, felt they had hit a jackpot when they stumbled upon an old tiger skin. They decided to sell it and fund their amusements. But luck was not in their favour as they ended up in police lock-up.

The moth-eaten, 25-year-old skin was in the attic of Ravi Kumar’s home. After making a contact with a person who said the skin will be purchased by a ‘customer’ for Rs 4.5 lakh, they took it to Madikeri.

However, a police team led by inspector R Satish Kumar stopped the trio, who were going on two bikes, near Abbey Falls in K Nidugani village on October 11. They found the tiger skin wrapped inside a plastic bag and arrested the boys. They were presented in court which sent them to custody.

According to police, the trio confessed that they went to Madikeri to sell the tiger skin, and since the offence attracted three years imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine, they were immediately arrested. The police say the boys claimed that the tiger skin was in their house and they intended to sell it for Rs 4.5 lakh.

After their bail applications were rejected by the trial and sessions court, the trio approached High Court on Monday.

Their advocate Shankrappa argued that it was a story set up by the police. “The three are teenage students studying in colleges. Their semester exams are approaching. They were not aware of the tiger skin. It is a make-believe story by the police that they were trying to sell it. The boys were on a trip and thought they were helping someone,” Shankrappa said.

When Justice Subhash B Adi asked how come the boys were not aware what they were carrying, the advocate said, “It was in the bag that someone known to them wanted delivered. They did not check it. The police have not charged the owner of the bag. They just caught hold of the boys.”

Shankarappa also said that the tiger skin was 25 years old and not a new one, but Justice Adi was not impressed. “All other offences can be pardoned. But not this one. What if the skin is old? Are you permitted to carry old skins? There is no difference between old and new tiger skin in the eyes of law,” justice Adi said.

The court has asked for the charge sheet against the three boys to be placed before it on Wednesday.

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/10/201201032012010306053487355301ede/%E2%80%98Tiger-skin-old-or-new-crime-is-crime%E2%80%99.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Escaped Tiger Causes Scare in Northern Mexico

2012-01-02T22:25:00.000-05:00

Published January 02, 2012

An escaped pet tiger named Deborah spurred a massive deployment of police, firefighters and other first responders in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila, authorities said.

Apolonio Armenta, the Coahuila delegate of Mexico's environmental protection agency, Profepa, told Efe that alarmed residents began calling police late Wednesday night with reports about a tiger roaming the streets of Saltillo, the state capital.

"It was a tigress between 8 and 12 months old that some thieves allowed to escape when they broke into the office of the pet's owner, attorney Rodolfo Richards," Armenta said.

Richards eventually managed to recapture the 50-kilo (110-pound) Bengal tiger.

Deborah was only a month old when the attorney bought her from a pet shop in nearby Monterrey, Armenta said, adding that while Richards has paperwork confirming his ownership of the animal, he failed to register the tiger with Profepa as a pet.

Richards now faces up to 1.2 million pesos ($85,000) in fines if he cannot explain to Profepa's satisfaction why he didn't register Deborah.

Mexicans are alllowed to keep exotic animals as pets provided the comply with Profepa regulations, which include providing the animal with an appropriate environment and ensuring it does not become a threat to public safety.

Such animals are "relatively quiet, if they live with humans as cubs, you make sure that they don't suffer from stress or hunger and you give them medical attention to keep them healthy," Armenta said.

Six months ago, he noted, a mountain lion and a tiger were dumped in front of the Profepa offfice in Coahuila, while army troops later captured an African lion in the town of Nava.

Those three animals are now in the Monclova zoo.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/01/02/escaped-tiger-causes-scare-in-northern-mexico/

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

TX tiger clawing log

2012-01-02T20:54:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Amanda Arthur Andre getting new winter grass

2012-01-02T14:30:00.001-05:00

IMG_1631.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

How many trees fit on a golf cart

2011-12-30T13:06:00.001-05:00

IMG_1573.MOV Watch on Posterous

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tree Cart at Bug Cat Rescue

2011-12-30T13:03:00.001-05:00

IMG_1570.MOV Watch on Posterous

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tigers get Christmas trees

2011-12-30T12:55:00.001-05:00

IMG_1563.MOV Watch on Posterous

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tree dragging

2011-12-30T12:08:00.001-05:00

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Howie on the Jumbotron at Lightning hockey game tonight promoting Big Cat Rescue to a sold out crowd

2011-12-27T19:38:00.001-05:00

IMG_1511.MOV Watch on Posterous

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12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Two tigers

2011-12-24T17:09:00.001-05:00

IMG_1413.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

The tail end is funny

2011-12-23T09:59:00.001-05:00

IMG_1381.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Tiger tree

2011-12-22T14:57:00.001-05:00

IMG_1369.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Christmas tree delivery

2011-12-22T14:50:00.001-05:00

IMG_1365.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Lion roar

2011-12-22T13:25:00.001-05:00

IMG_1356.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

More fun Holiday crafts, a very funny video of big cats singing Jingle Bells

2011-12-22T08:44:00.001-05:00

More fun Holiday crafts, a very funny video of big cats singing Jingle Bells, another purr-fect USDA inspection, Christmas trees are donated, Big Cat Rescuer, Jeff Kremer quoted in a book called Animal Impact, stumps get grounded, tours are over flowing and the Enrichment Committee makes presents for all of the rest of the cats to get over the next four days. http://bigcatrescue.org/2011/today-at-big-cat-rescue-dec-21

Big Cat Rescuers making presents for the little wild cats

2011-12-21T18:40:00.001-05:00

Big Cat Rescuers making presents for the little wild cats at Big Cat Rescue live on UStream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bobcatkittencam#

Possible new home for Truck Stop Tiger under investigation

2011-12-21T10:49:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 5:34pm

GROSS TETE, LA (NBC33) — An exotic animal park where Tony the Truck Stop tiger could end up is under investigation.

Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin has said that if the courts force him to relocate Tony from his roadside display in Gross Tete, he would send the big cat to GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.

But the US Department of Agriculture began an investigation into that park last year after 23 tiger cubs died there.

They say they don't know when the investigation will be completed.

http://www.nbc33tv.com/all-about-animals/possible-new-home-for-truck-stop-tiger-under-investigation

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tigers Sing Jingle Bells! .... and destroy presents!

2011-12-20T14:46:00.001-05:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Big Cat Rescue Video - NHL VideoCenter - Tampa Bay Lightning

2011-12-19T14:50:00.001-05:00

http://video.lightning.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=142734

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

A Season of Giving: Our Favorite Charities | PCMag.com

2011-12-18T13:38:00.001-05:00

http://mobile.pcmag.com/device2/article.php?CALL_URL=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397730,00.asp

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Cub abuse cancelled at mall

2011-12-16T18:04:00.001-05:00

Threat of protest closes tiger cub exhibit at Centerpointe Mall

http://mobile.mlive.com/advgrapids/pm_29287/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=sEK...

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Cage Dance Moves

2011-12-16T11:14:00.001-05:00

IMG_1311.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

N.J. owners of captive tigers face further restrictions under new bill passed by Senate

2011-12-15T23:56:00.000-05:00

Published: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 3:46 PM
Updated: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 3:59 PM

TRENTON — Owners of captive tigers in New Jersey would be subject to stricter reporting and registration requirements under a bill passed by the state Senate today.

“I can’t say that anything we do today will save these majestic animals in the wild from extinction, but I can say if we do nothing they will shortly be extinct and the inhumane treatment of tigers in captivity will continue,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union).

Lesniak got the idea from Mark O’Donnell, former Gov. Jim McGreevey’s life partner and a board member of the Eco Health Alliance.

Under the measure (S3061), tiger owners would have to tell the state Department of Environmental Protection know where a tiger will be kept; its date of birth, weight and sex; whether it has any distinguishing marks; and to provide a digital photograph, as well as a hair sample, for DNA analysis. It also requires microchipping, and outlines how to dispose of a tiger's body and document the death for the DEP.

The bill, which passed 37-0, has not been taken up by the state Assembly. It is intended to serve as a model both nationally and internationally.

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna, however, said New Jersey already has strict requirements for exotic species. There are currently 29 captive tigers in the Garden State, he said.

"There are five zoos in New Jersey that have tigers on display. No tigers are allowed to be kept as pets in New Jersey," he said. "We don't have any known cases of tiger part trading in New Jersey."

Related coverage:

• Legislation intended to increase odds of tigers' survival in wild goes before N.J. Senate committee

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nj_captive_tigers_face_further.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tiger mauled to death at Toronto Zoo

2011-12-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

By Jenny Yuen ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Thursday, December 15, 2011 01:36 PM EST
Updated: Thursday, December 15, 2011 06:26 PM EST

“Tiger Woods” has mauled his mate to death.

For months, a three-year-old male Sumatran tiger – Harimau Kayu – imported from the San Diego Wild Animal Park in June for a breeding program seemed to be getting along with Brytne, a 13-year-old female tiger. But on Thursday morning when the pair were put in the same space together, Harimau Kayu lunged at the female in a fight, crushing her larynx.

In Indonesian, Harimau Kayu’s name literally translates to “Tiger Wood,” however San Diego zookeepers named the endangered animal after golfer Tiger Woods.

“They were doing really well,” Maria Franke, curator of mammals at the Toronto Zoo. “He just grabbed her by the neck and it was over within seconds.”

When zookeepers saw the fight erupt, they dispelled empty carbon-dioxide containers and made loud banging noises to split the two up. When they separated the male into the holding area, it was already too late.

The tigers had been reacting positively to a “howdy door” – having contact through a mesh barrier – since October as part of the Species Survival Program.

“We base how they react between a barrier and see if it’s positive or negative and we do that very slowly over months to see how the behaviour is,” Franke said. “Everything was lining up, they’ve been chuffing to each other – which is a greeting sound – and head butting.”

Harimau Kayu was not injured in the scuffle, Franke said.

The Sumatran tigers are listed as critically endangered and only 300 to 500 of these animals exist in the world. In North America alone, there are just 71.

In North America, Franke said there have been 10 reports of mauling involving different species of tigers.

Brytne gave birth to two litters with another male tiger, Rengat, who was put down at the zoo from kidney failure at the age of 17. Their cubs, Kali and Indah were donated to a zoo in Japan last winter.

“It’s a very sad day for us with Brytne but we feel at least her genetics were able to be passed on for the survival of the species,” Franke said.

The zoo will conduct an autopsy and the tiger’s ovaries will be collected for reproduction research.

This is the third tiger to die at the zoo since 2010. Tonghua, a 17-year-old Siberian tiger died in February 2010 from cancer.

The Toronto Zoo has come under fire in recent years with the imminent departure of their elephants, Thika, Toka and Iringa, to a California animal sanctuary.

In the spring, a polar bear cub was attacked and killed by its mother in October and Nokanda, a 15-year-old lioness was euthanized in August due to declining health. Four elephants have died since 2006 at the zoo as well as an orangutan in 2010.

On top of that, there’s the uncertainty over its future ownership and the raising of admission prices in peak season to reduce its budget by 10% that have added to the zoo’s shaky image.

But Franke said she doesn’t see this as another blow to the zoo.

“There was nothing that was not done properly here,” she said. “The keepers are the heroes in this situation, they acted promptly. This is just really bad luck. The keepers that work with the animals on a daily basis are pretty shaken up and it’s never easy.”

Harimau Kayu will continue to stay at the zoo and keepers are looking at trying to find another mate for him.

“We’ll then proceed to get another breeding recommendation with another genetically-good matched female for this male,” Franke said. “This doesn’t mean he’s a bad tiger, he’s just a tiger. It’s the nature of the beast, they’re tigers and it’s survival of the fittest.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/15/tiger-mauled-to-death-at-toronto-zoo

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tigers

2011-12-14T17:33:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Jamie and Tigers

2011-12-14T17:32:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Senate Votes Thursday 12/15 – Stop tigers being killed for their parts in NJ

2011-12-14T09:05:00.001-05:00

New Jersey Friends!! Please Take Action for Tigers TODAY!! There is an important vote coming up Thursday to protect tigers from ending up in the illegal trade. Please contact your NJ Senators asking them to support S. 3061 It only takes a few minutes to show you care about these great cats. Please visit the link, fill in your information and share. Thank You!! http://www.capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=53907046&type=ST

Tigers are worth far more dead than alive because of demand in Asia and in some communities in the U.S. for tiger bone wine and alleged medicinal and aphrodisiacs made from their parts. The rapidly declining wild tiger population is now estimated to be only about 3000 tigers, with the greatest threat coming from poaching of tigers for their parts.

There are more tigers in captivity in the U.S. than in the wild. Cubs are bred constantly to exploit by charging for petting and photo opportunities. But, there is no system in the U.S. to effectively track whether, once they are too big to use for petting and photos, they are being killed for their parts.

Senator Ray Lesniak, Chairman of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, has introduced a landmark bill to require registration and detailed tracking of all tigers in New Jersey to prevent them from being slaughtered for the trade in their parts. We hope this bill will become a model for other states and possibly a federal law.

The bill passed the Committee unanimously and now needs your voice to continue its momentum onto the full Senate floor this Thursday for a vote. Animal exploiters are lobbying to gut this bill, so it is important that you speak up now for the tigers! Please scroll down to send an email to your Senator urging them to support this bill. If you take a minute to customize the suggested language in the form, your email will have more impact. Thanks for helping stop the slaughter of tigers for their parts!

http://www.capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=53907046&type=ST

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tampa Yacht Club event

2011-12-13T18:02:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Having fun at Skippers Smokehouse

2011-12-11T19:14:00.001-05:00

Tonight's battle of the bands for Big Cat Rescue

IMG_1251.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Skull and Bone Band has 'em dancing the

2011-12-11T19:03:00.001-05:00

Night away at Skippers tonight for Big Cat Rescue. Join us!

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Human Condition Band benefitting Big Cat Rescue

2011-12-11T18:12:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Sunset Bridge Band was great

2011-12-11T18:04:00.001-05:00

At Skippers Fundraiser for Big Cat Rescue

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Dancing at Big Cat Benefit @Skippers

2011-12-11T17:28:00.001-05:00

IMG_1245.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Help BENGALI spread the word

2011-12-08T09:58:00.001-05:00

& WIN a $20 gift certificate to use in our gift shop! If you get the most people to click on your link to Big Cat Week TODAY - All you need to do is sign up at the link below (we won't sell or share your info) to get your unique tracking link.... Then post it to facebook/twitter and who ever gets the most clicks by midnight GMT gets the $20 gift certificate! http://bcw.bigcatrescue.org/start/?c=133

Carole Baskin added you to her circles and invited you to join Google+

2011-12-07T13:00:00.001-05:00

Carole Baskin added you to her circles and invited you to join Google+.

Join Google+

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Conversations are better face-to-face. Join a video hangout from your computer or mobile phone to catch up, watch YouTube videos together, or swap stories with up to 9 of your friends at once.

Mobile

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Win $20 Gift Certificate by sharing Big Cat Week promo trailer

2011-12-07T11:44:00.001-05:00

Help JOSEPH spread the word & WIN a $20 gift certificate to use in our gift shop! If you get the most people to click on your link to Big Cat Week TODAY - All you need to do is sign up at the link below (we won't sell or share your info) to get your unique tracking link.... Then post it to facebook/twitter and who ever gets the most clicks by midnight Pacific Time tonight gets the $20 gift certificate! http://bcw.bigcatrescue.org/start/?c=133

What are the Best E-Cards to Send and Get?

2011-12-06T15:22:00.001-05:00

What are the Best E-Cards to Send and Get?

These show the popularity of some of LaWanna’s BigCatFun.com cards:

EXAMPLES of how well videos go over as ecards:

This one of TJ playing in his pool has had over 45,000 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5572.html

This one has had over 41,000 views as a Halloween ecards and this one wasnt posted decorated as Halloween very long ago.

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/category3_351.html

This video (cats & watermelons) has had over 30,000 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5581.html

more watermellong with over 45,000 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5568.html

This video of you and cougar has had over 23,000 views as an eCard.

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5537.html

This one of the cougars purring has had over 17,000 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5538.html

This one has had over 12,000 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5542.html

This one over 12,00 views as an ecard

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5546.html

This one over 11,000

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5551.html

This one over 16,000

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5553.html

This one over 10,000

http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/ecard5579.html

Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats. The sanctuary began rescuing exotic cats in Nov. 4, 1992. The non profit 501c3 sanctuary is home to more than 100 exotic big cats.

Big Cat Rescue’s mission is to provide the best possible home for the animals in our care and try to stop the flow of exotic cats needing sanctuary by educating the public about the plight of the animals and supporting stronger laws to protect them.

Big Cat Rescue is: Accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries, Certified by Independent Charities of America as a “Best in America Charity”, Rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (their highest rating) and has the highest score of any animal based charity. Find out more at BigCatRescue.org

Win $20 Gift Certificate Sharing Big Cat Week

2011-12-06T10:19:00.001-05:00

Dee DeSantis is our winner of the $20. gift certificate for Dec 5.

This is a daily contest, so the clock starts over for sharing your own personal link which can be obtained by signing up at http://bcw.bigcatrescue.org/start/?c=133

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue

12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
Office 813.920.4130

Caring for cats - Ending the trade

Join more than 53,000 Big Cat Rescue fans http://www.facebook.com/BigCatRescue

Twitter: Follow Me and get a free wild cat screen saver or ecard account @BigCatRescue

Howie's Muse Helps Draft USDA Letter

2011-12-05T20:31:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Get a $20 gift certificate

2011-12-05T12:56:00.001-05:00

Get a $20 gift certificate to use at BigCatRescue.biz if you get the most people to click on your link to Big Cat Week today.

You will need to sign up at the link below (we won't sell or share your info) to get your unique tracking link.

Then post it to facebook and twitter and who ever gets the most clicks by midnight Pacific Time tonight gets the $20 gift certificate!

http://bcw.bigcatrescue.org/start/?c=133

Dealing with Cats that Spray

2011-12-04T14:32:00.001-05:00

Keep the Fat Cat Out of the Skinny Cat’s Bowl

If you have more than one cat you probably have this problem: One cat is too skinny and the other cat is too fat. So how do you satisfy the cravings of the skinny cat without contributing to the obesity of the fat cat?

Solution: The SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap !

I love this cat door! It was easy to install and only took the press of one button to teach it the difference between my skinny cat and my fat cat. The secret is a battery operated microchip reader.

All I had to do after installing the flap was install four AA batteries and press a button. The next cat to pass through the flap would be learned by the door, enabling only that microchip to pass through. Press the button after the chosen cat passes through and the learning stops. Now the door will only open when that microchip is at the flap.

I installed it on an internal door and trained the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap to only read my skinny cat’s microchip. Now I can keep food available in that room for him 24/7 and the fat cat can’t get to it. The skinny cat is skinny for a reason; he is a youngster and hyper active. At night I can still lock him in his room by turning a manual knob on the door that prevents him from being able to pass through the flap. This gives our old, fat cat some peace and quiet at night and allows us to sleep. On the first night he banged away at the door for about 15 minutes, but by the second night had figured out that when it’s dark the door doesn’t work for him.

The door was probably designed more for those who allow their cats to come and go from outside. The door can be programmed to learn up to 32 different microchips so for someone who has more than one cat that they want passing through the door it’s a good choice. The door will only open for the microchips that you program. This keeps out stray pets or other animals that you would not want in your house.

My original intention for the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap was to install it in the larger exotic cat cages. Sometimes we have a group of cats who have lived together a long time, but one becomes too senile to be allowed around a pool, or one has to stay off high perches while healing a sprain. This sort of a door would be ideal for those situations where we want the “pride” to stay together, if possible, but want to restrict areas of the enclosure to just those with the right microchip. (and yes, our wild cats are microchipped) The problem was that this door is designed for domestic cats and would not accomodate our 25-40 lb jungle cats, ocelots or bobcats.

Depending on the size of the hybrid cat though, it might work for people who have mistakenly purchased Bengal Cats, Savannah Cats or Chausie Cats who are notorious sprayers. Some domestic cats, despite thousands of years of domestication and being altered, still spray, so this door would also work in a multi-cat household dealing with those issues. The spraying cat could live on the lanai and not be programed for the door, while the cats with good house manners could have access to both indoors and the screened room areas.

Here’s the Scoop: The skinny cat and I give it 5 paws. The fat cat only gives it one.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Keep the fat cat out of the skinny cat’s bowl – Tampa Bay Cats | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/cats-in-tampa-bay/keep-the-fat-cat-out-of-the-skinny-cat-s-bowl-review#ixzz1faxiDcQU

New Photos of the Big Cats

Each day for the next week or so we will be posting some of the newest photos of the cats. There are a bunch of new ones for sale in the Big Cat Shop.

Carole Baskin is forwarding an email to you

2011-12-01T09:30:00.001-05:00

Hi Minksy,

Kim Sonderegger thought you'd be interested in this:
http://us1.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=4ced06ab6a792ec51751d6eae&id=23e5ae1a2d

Kim Sonderegger also included this personal message to you:

Minksy (and Squirrel) please vote for the snow leopards!

Did you find the link interesting?

You can forward it on to your friends, too:
http://us1.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=4ced06ab6a792ec51751d6eae&id=23e5ae1a2d

You can subscribe for more emails at:
http://snowleopard.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4ced06ab6a792ec51751d6eae&id=cc286e56f5

* Note: if any of the URLs above are not clickable, you can copy/paste them into your web browser.

Arthur and Andre tigers

2011-11-27T13:40:00.001-05:00

IMG_1098.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Joseph the lion Roaring

2011-11-26T16:32:00.001-05:00

IMG_1085.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Big Cat Rescue- Today at Big Cat Rescue Nov 20

2011-11-20T17:41:00.001-05:00

Check out this post: http://bigcatrescue.org/2011/today-at-big-cat-rescue-nov-20

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Ocelot

2011-11-16T13:10:00.001-05:00

IMG_0939.MOV Watch on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Sand

2011-11-10T13:24:00.001-05:00

Sent from my iPhone. Carole.Baskin@BigCatRescue.org
12802 Easy St Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564

Update from ALDF: VICTORY FOR TONY! November 2, 2011

2011-11-03T03:53:00.000-05:00

Update November 2, 2011: Great news from Baton Rouge, where Judge Michael Caldwell has ruled in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Louisiana taxpayers in their lawsuit to free Tony the Tiger from the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana.

Judge Caldwell agreed with ALDF’s argument that the permit that allows Sandlin to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The judge ordered the Department to revoke the current permit and prohibited it from issuing any new permits to the Truck Stop. “We are thrilled that the court made the right decision,” says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure Tony’s next home is a reputable, accredited sanctuary that can give Tony the life he deserves.”

http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=1859

Please visit Tony's blog http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/ for more articles about ALDF's victory and how we can continue to advocate on Tony's behalf.
http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Attorneys Fighting to Free Tony the Truck Stop Tiger Head Back to Court for New Trial

2011-11-02T08:16:00.001-05:00

November 1st, 2011

Court Will Rule on Standing of Tony Supporters to Fight for Him in Court, Will Once Again Decide His Fate

For immediate release

Contact:
Lisa Franzetta, Animal Legal Defense Fund
Megan Backus, Animal Legal Defense Fund

Baton Rouge, La. – Tomorrow morning, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and outraged Louisiana residents return to East Baton Rouge District Court to square off against the owner of the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, La., where Tony, a Siberian-Bengal tiger, has been confined as a roadside exhibit for over a decade. The same court granted ALDF’s original request for a permanent injunction in May 2011, a ruling that would have prevented the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from renewing in December the annual permit that allows Michael Sandlin, owner of the Tiger Truck Stop, to keep Tony on display. In August, the Louisiana Court of Appeals ruled that Michael Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop must be named as defendants in the lawsuit and ordered a new trial, vacating the trial court’s earlier decision. In addition to this new trial, the Court will consider a motion by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to contest the plaintiffs’ standing to bring the lawsuit to free Tony.

When:
Wednesday, November 2, 9:00 a.m.

Where:
East Baton Rouge District Courthouse
Room 8B (Judge R. Michael Caldwell’s courtroom)
300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge

Since ALDF filed its original lawsuit in April 2011, it has argued that the Department violated state law in granting the permit to Michael Sandlin. In tomorrow’s hearing, the Court will again hear ALDF’s argument that Sandlin’s permit to own and display Tony should be invalidated, and that Tony should be released into the custody of ALDF or an accredited animal sanctuary where he can receive care and treatment and live out his life in a more natural environment, free from the 24-hour exposure to noise and diesel fumes and the taunts of visitors. ALDF is requesting both a permanent injunction, which would mean the state could not renew Sandlin’s permit in December, and a mandatory injunction, which would require that Sandlin’s current permit be revoked. The Court may choose to issue a decision in the case immediately following the hearing.

Tony has been on exhibit at the Tiger Truck Stop since 2000; he has lived there with no other tiger companions since 2003. ALDF’s lawsuit to free Tony has drawn the support of high profile advocates like Leonardo DiCaprio and True Blood’s Kristin Bauer and has galvanized activists around the world. The law offices of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, P.C. are providing pro bono assistance with the lawsuit.

“The Animal Legal Defense Fund is confident that the trial court got the law right the first time around and will again make the best decision for Tony,” says ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “We would like nothing more than for Tony to spend this New Year’s in the comfort of an accredited sanctuary that is far better equipped to meet his basic needs and to give him the kind of life he deserves.”

http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=1859

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

London Zoo (ZSL) get green light for extension to tiger enclosure

2011-10-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

Published: 28 October 2011
By JOSH LOEB

LONDON Zoo got the green light to build a multi-million pound extension to its tiger enclosure at a meeting at City Hall last night (Thursday).

The zoo’s pair of Sumatran tigers, Raika and Lumpur, are currently confined to a 600sqm enclosure but will have the run of a 2,400sqm home once the project, billed as a “tiger conservation HQ”, is completed.

The zoo says the new exhibit will give visitors the chance to get a better look at the animals, which face a high risk of extinction in the wild.

It is also hoped the roomier environment will aid efforts to encourage the big cats to breed. The work could cost as much as £5million and the zoo is seeking to raise £2million by 2013, when the enclosure is set to open.

Pictured: An artist’s impression of the new extension. Top: Lumpur

http://www.westendextra.com/news/2011/oct/london-zoo-zsl-get-green-light-extension-tiger-enclosure

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tiger Cubs Make Their Debut At Sydney Zoo

2011-10-30T00:22:00.000-05:00

Sumatran tiger Jumilah is seen with her cubs on display at Taronga Zoo on October 25, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

First Posted: 10/29/11 08:15 PM ET Updated: 10/29/11 08:17 PM ET

What's cuter than a baby animal? Three baby animals.

The video below, from the Associated Press, shows young tiger cubs making their public debut at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.

The three Sumatran tiger cubs were born on August 20th and were an important addition for the zoo. There may be as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

Cameron Kerr, the zoo's director and chief executive, said in a press release, "In a world where just 7% of original tiger habitat remains, this triple birth is a great achievement by Taronga’s dedicated keepers. When you think that these cubs represent nearly 1% of the wild Sumatran Tiger population, you realise just how precarious the future is for these iconic creatures.”

Things may be looking up for wild tigers in other places. A survey earlier this year of India's tiger population showed that the population had increased in the past four years.

For another cute animal video, check out these big cats in Florida playing with rubber toys.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/29/tiger-cubs-debut-sydney-zoo_n_1033196.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Local tiger cubs are growing up fast

2011-10-26T23:39:00.000-05:00

Posted: 10/26/2011
By: Kait Parker

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It was the middle of May when Berapi, the female Malayan Tiger, gave birth to three tiger cubs at the Palm Beach Zoo. Since then, these tiger cubs have grown tenfold and have more than enough energy to go around.

Little boys sure can be a handful. Running, romping and rambunctious, the three male Malayan tiger cubs at the Palm Beach zoo are no exception.

“They’re about five and a half months old now and, about 50-55 lbs, so they are growing very quickly and they’re at an age now that is absolutely adorable. They are spending their day running around the exhibit, they’re very comical and guests are loving them at the zoo.” Says Keith Lovett, Assistant Zoo Director at the Palm Beach Zoo.

The urban jungle these tiger cubs are being raised in may seem far different than their native Malaysia, however, South Florida’s tropical climate is actually very similar to southeast Asia, helping some of the newest members of this dwindling subspecies of tiger to thrive.

The Zoo is doing what it can to prepare for the future of Malayan Tigers.

“It’s estimated [there are only] three to five hundred Malayan tigers remain in the wild, so this is an animal that does need a lot of conservation work. Some of our conservation work is through conservation education, putting them on display at the zoo, teaching people about tigers, but it also has to do with genetic back up, basically the breeding of these cats because there are so few animals left in the wild that someday, some of the genetics that are found in the North American population may be needed for the wild in Malaysia,” explains Lovett.

Carrying the weight of the future of their species on their shoulders doesn’t seem to faze these tiny tykes much, for now their focus is on tackling their mom, wrestling one another and looking for a tasty treat. But in a few short years they will be as big as their father and will begin doing their part to keep the endangered Malayan tigers from going extinct.

There are only 58 Malayan Tigers in accredited zoos across the county. All three tiger cubs and the mother, Berapi, will remain at the Palm Beach Zoo for at least the next two years, however while the father is currently in Palm Beach, he will soon be taking a trip to the Bronx Zoo in New York to take part in a breeding program.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/science_tech/local-tiger-cubs-are-growing-up-fast

http://www.bigatrescue.org

Ohio Gov. Kasich issues executive order on wild animals; critics roar

2011-10-23T03:22:00.000-05:00

Published: Friday, October 21, 2011, 9:17 PM
Updated: Saturday, October 22, 2011, 5:22 AM

By Reginald Fields, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. John Kasich responded Friday to the exotic animal tragedy in Zanesville with an executive order calling on local humane societies and health agencies to do more to enforce existing animal cruelty laws.

But the Republican governor's order did little to address the most pressing questions : How can an Ohio resident be allowed to own so many wild animals without any regulations? Why are there no rules for how these non-native species are brought to Ohio?

Kasich, who has taken tremendous heat this week for allowing a previous wild animal executive order to lapse, was defiant in defending himself. He insisted he is taking steps to fix a problem he said should have been addressed long before he took office.

"I asked the staff to get together across our cabinet and figure out what we could do in the short run. . . to help to deal with this problem," Kasich said on Friday. "Fortunately today I am able to sign an executive order that will have teeth, that is founded in the law and gives power to people."

The order calls on local officials to aggressively enforce animal welfare laws in place since 1953. State officials will review permits of dangerous animals native to Ohio and tighten restrictions on animal auction houses. The governor also said he wants a new bill by Nov. 30 that regulates dangerous, non-native animals.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Zoological Association of America both issued statements supporting Kasich's executive order.

But the Humane Society of the United States panned it, saying Kasich should have been more assertive in preventing exotic animals from being owned as pets.

"The emergency order he signed today is inadequate and sidesteps the central problems created by the exotic animal trade in Ohio," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS. "No private citizen should keep big cats, bears or primates as pets or as roadside attractions."

Tim Harrison, a retired Oakwood police officer who now works for the Humane Society, said Kasich's response was akin to "applying a Band-Aid to an artery."

Just before dusk Tuesday, Terry W. Thompson freed his menagerie of 56 exotic animals -- including various big cats, bears and wolves -- from his 73-acre farm in Zanesville. The 62-year-old man then committed suicide in his driveway.

Local law enforcement officials battling the onset of darkness and trying to corral roaming dangerous animals shot and killed 49. Six animals were captured and one, a monkey, is presumed to have been eaten by one of the other animals.

The images of dead Bengal tigers, lions and grizzly bears piled next to each other in a makeshift grave under an overcast sky gripped the nation and brought Kasich increased scrutiny after it was learned that he let expire an executive order signed late last year by outgoing Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.

Kasich defeated Strickland in the November 2010 election.

Strickland's order did not ban ownership of exotic animals outright but would have required the animals to be registered with the state by May 1, 2011. It also would have barred anyone convicted of animal abuse from owning exotic animals. Thompson had three animal cruelty related convictions in 2005, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

During his press conference , Kasich minimized Strickland's order as being unenforceable because it was not backed by state statute.

"What we had really wasn't real," Kasich said of Strickland's order. "Because if it's not anchored in the law, it has no force, it has no teeth."

Reached by The Plain Dealer , Strickland said he was offended by Kasich's "cheap shot" and added the governor is "flat-out wrong."

"Listen, that tragedy may have happened anyway, I'm not casting blame on the governor or anyone else. But for him to say he didn't extend our executive order because it was not a lawful order is just flat-out wrong," Strickland said.

Strickland said he was “frustrated” over what he called a continual amount “of misinformation coming out of the administration.”

"Maybe they had reasons for wanting to set up a different process and, if so, they can do that. He's the governor. But I don't want them taking a cheap shot at our efforts."

Kasich officials complained that one problem with Strickland's order is that it did not come with an appropriation for the Department of Natural Resources to enforce it. But on Friday, Kasich admitted that his own executive order will have undetermined costs at taxpayer expense.

Kasich said he allowed Strickland's order to expire with the expectation that a task force appointed by his administration would come up with new regulations and language for a new law by the end of this year. That timeframe has now been moved up to the end of November.

Kasich underscored the problem facing Ohio. He noted the state essentially cannot stop any residents living anywhere in Ohio from owning a wild animal. Furthermore, because there are no permitting regulations, the state has no idea how many dangerous, non-native animals – like those killed this week – are being kept by private residents.

"We will be looking at what authority we can bring in to clearly put ourselves in a position of determining whether anybody out there is qualified . . . to even hold these animals," Kasich said. "And, frankly, we've got to think about what kind of animals they ought to have.

"But that is for later."

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/10/ohio_gov_kasich_issues_executi.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Sheriff: 56 exotic animals escaped from farm near Zanesville; 49 killed by authorities

2011-10-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

Workers begin the process of burying carcasses of the dead animals today at the Muskingum County Animal Farm.

Animal farm owner released the animals, then killed himself

By Josh Jarman , Quan Truong , Jim Woods and Brenda Jackson
Wednesday October 19, 2011 8:31 PM

ZANESVILLE, Ohio —Authorities say that in all, 56 exotic animals escaped from a farm in Muskingum County last night, and one could still be missing this afternoon.

Of those animals, 49 were killed. Six animals -- a grizzly bear, three leopards and two monkeys -- were captured alive and taken to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and a monkey and a grey wolf were at large. The animals that were killed included 18 tigers, nine male lions, eight female lions, six black bears, three mountain lions, two grizzly bears, one baboon and two wolves, Sheriff Matt Lutz said. The escaped monkey poses a danger because it is infected with herpes, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said it is possible that the missing monkey was eaten by a large cat.

The owner of the farm, Terry Thompson, was found dead last night on his property. Authorities say Thompson opened the cage doors and cut the wires on the cages, then killed himself. He died from a gunshot wound. Lutz said Thompson's body was "bothered" by the animals.

Lutz had previously said a grizzly bear, a wolf and a mountain lion were missing. Today, authorities confirmed they killed the bear on the property last night. The wolf was later found dead; it had been shot last night. An officer wounded the mountain lion, which staggered into a neighbor's property and died.

Thompson's wife has returned to the farm and is talking to authorities. Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, said the wife begged authorities not to take her "babies," but he convinced her to let the animals go and work it out later.

"I held her, I felt her shock. Her animals are gone. Her family is gone. Everything in her life is gone," Hanna said.

The animals that were killed by authorities likely will be buried on Thompson's property.

Lutz defended the shooting of the escaped animals. He said when deputies arrived at the house, there were large animals trying to escape. The deputies had to shoot them with their sidearms.

"Public safety was my No. 1 concern," Lutz said. "I gave the order that if the animals looked like they were going to get out, they were going down."

Hanna called this morning for the state to enact regulations to crack down on the possession, breeding and selling of exotic animals.

"I went to school at Muskingum (College)," he said. "It's like Noah's ark wrecked."

Hanna said he has talked to the governor's office about enacting stricter exotic animal laws.

"We need to set an example in the state of Ohio," he said. "There was a loss of life here, and we thank God it was not human life. It was animal life, and that's my life."

Hanna also defended the deputies shooting the animals.

The deputies were assisted by the State Highway Patrol, authorities from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Wilds, the state Division of Wildlife, the county Emergency Management Agency and township fire departments.

A plan to bring in a patrol helicopter with a thermal-imaging camera to find animals last night was scuttled last night by stormy weather.

Zanesville, West Muskingum and Maysville school districts, as well as Muskingum County Starlight School, all canceled classes for Wednesday to keep children inside. Lutz also recommends that residents remain inside today and call 911 if any wild animal is seen.Lutz said the incident began about 5:30 p.m., when the sheriff’s office began receiving calls that wild animals were running loose in the area of Kopchak Road, which is in Falls Township and just west of Zanesville.

Lutz said that four deputies with assault rifles in a pickup truck immediately went to 270 Kopchak Rd., where a 46-acre “wild-animal-rescue farm” owned by Thompson borders I-70.

There, Lutz said, they found Thompson dead outside his house and “every single animal-cage door open.”Lutz said the deputies saw a number of animals standing outside their cages, still on the property, while others had escaped a fence that surrounds Thompson’s property. Deputies immediately began shooting animals, he said.

Lutz said the fence on Thompson's property isn’t designed to keep in wild animals.

Lutz said a man who is a caretaker on the animal preserve told deputies that 48 animals lived in cages outside the house on the property. More animals — mostly monkeys, baboons and apes — lived inside Thompson’s house, the man said.

Those inside the house were still in the cages, Lutz said.

Late last night, there was a report of a wolf and a bear still roaming at least 4 miles from the farm property. One animal was struck by a car and later killed.

The Licking County Sheriff’s Office also received at least four phone calls from residents reporting exotic-animal sightings. SWAT officers with night-vision equipment were searching for animals in Licking County early this morning.

Lutz said Muskingum County deputies had fatally shot and killed at least 25 animals when they first drove to the property. A wolf and bear also reportedly were killed along I-70.

He said that officials from the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds came in shortly after the discovery with tranquilizer guns, hoping to capture some animals alive.

Thompson, 62, was released from federal prison just three weeks ago, after serving a one-year term.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had raided Thompson’s Kopchak Road property in June 2008, seizing more than 100 guns. In April 2010, Thompson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to two federal charges: possession of a machine gun and possession of short firearms without serial numbers.

Under terms of his release, Thompson was confined to his home for a year.

Thompson also was convicted in Muskingum County Municipal Court in 2005 of cruelty to animals, having an animal at large and two counts of rendering animal waste without a license. The charges stemmed from allegations that three cows and a bison had died on another property he owned, on Boggs Road in Perry Township, east of Zanesville.

Neighbors there had lodged numerous complaints about him letting his animals wander. Thompson was put on house arrest for six months and paid a $2,870 fine in that case. He also was ordered to move his animals to his Kopchak Road land.

Ohio has no rules regulating the sale and ownership of exotic animals.

Former Gov. Ted Strickland had attempted to enforce such a law, but Gov. John Kasich allowed an executive order to expire.

“There really needs to be some legislation changed on how these things are going on in the state of Ohio,” Lutz said.

Kate Riley, 20, who lives in western Muskingum County, said that Thompson has had lions, tigers and a bear get loose in the past.

Riley’s family owns a feed cattle farm nearby and said that Thompson would come and take their dead cows to feed his lions.

“He’d have claw marks all over him,” she said.

Riley said she understands that Thompson’s wife, Marian, recently left her husband and moved out.

Patti Peters, a spokeswoman for the Columbus Zoo, said staff members were at a dinner last night for the International Rhino Foundation when they heard about the incident. Five staff members from the zoo and the Wilds immediately went to help, she said.

Larry Hostetler, executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County, said the sheriff’s office and state officials had visited the Kopchak Road property in 2008 on a complaint that animals weren’t being taken care of there. The inspection, however, found acceptable treatment, Hostetler said.

Adelbert G. Kempf Jr, a retired veterinarian in Heath, said he inspected Thompson’s horses that day. He said thatThompson told him that he was running a rescue operation for horses.

“ He was far from that,” Hostetler said. “He was more of an animal collector.”

At one point, Thompson took three lion cubs to New York City for a photo shoot with model Heidi Klum. On another occasion, he brought animals to a 2007 community pet fair in Muskingum County. Thompson and his wife brought bear cubs, lions cubs and a baby ape, Hostetler said.

He said the wild animals disrupted the fair because they weren’t friendly.

“We had to change the advertisement in following years to say bring your domestic pets,” Hostetler said. “He was a piece of work.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/10/18/Wild-animals-loose-in-Muskingum-County.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Saranda springs tiger surprise

2011-10-16T23:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday, 15 October 2011 23:40 Sayantanee Choudhury

If the inhabitants of the Asia’s biggest Sal forest, Saranda, and initial evidence are to be believed, then its good news in the offing for wildlife lovers. Contrary to the general perception that big cats never existed in Saranda, there are hints for the first time of a tigress and a couple of cubs living there.

A team of wildlife experts has been rushed to the spot to examine tiger pugmarks found recently in the dense forest cover of Jharkhand. The team will also collect excreta and shed fur samples.

According to Saranda divisional forest officer KK Tiwari, locals spotted few unfamiliar pugmarks and informed the forest officials. “People even claimed to have seen one tigress and two cubs in the forest,” he added. However, the sighting is yet to be verified.

Jharkhand wildlife warden AK Gupta said, “A team of six members — including local wildlife officers and members from Ranchi — have been sent to Saranda to collect samples.”

He added that a large numbers of leopards and hyena inhabited Saranda earlier and that the forests often give conflicting signals on the presence of big cats.

Saranda is considered an unspoilt world, where nature rules supreme. It is the home of the endangered flying lizard. It is famous for its Sal forests and majestic elephants. However, news of tigers in the area then would definitely be good.

“The samples will be sent for forensic examination and results will be available within 10 days. Since there were no evidences of existence big of cats earlier, so we want to get a confirmed report from the forensic laboratory,” Gupta said.

The Singhbhum Elephant Reserve is the only elephant reserve which exists in this forest, with traditional routes taken by the pachyderms. “We are also trying to trace the routes of the tigers, if they are in the forest. No big cats have shown their existence even in neighbhouring Dalma forests either. It is possible that the tiger family has migrated from Odisha or Andhra Pradesh,” said the wildlife warden.

Gupta added, “Of late, tigers are probably trying out new routes. Few of them might have been isolated towards the Saranda forest and are trying to re-establish themselves here.”

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/13586-saranda-springs-tiger-surprise.html

http://www.bigcatresue.org

Environmentalists and investors draw claws over plan

2011-10-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

Next generation ... $30 million has been ploughed into helping secure the future of the endangered South China tiger. Photo: courtesy Li Quan

Ben Cubby
October 17, 2011.

A BOLD plan to shield the South China tiger from extinction has become a battleground between environment groups and so-called ''angel investors'', who have plunged $30 million in cash into the big cats' future.

Li Quan, a former executive at fashion label Gucci, and her financier husband Stuart Bray, have been working for 13 years to rebuild a sustainable tiger population. Perhaps fewer than 20 South China tigers are thought to still inhabit remote and mountainous regions of China's south. They are likely to be extinct in the wild within a decade.

The couple have sunk a fortune into a breeding program for cubs in South Africa, and are now ready to start sending them to China for release.

The Save China's Tigers program has just been recognised as a charity in Australia. But it has been criticised by some environment groups, including the international arm of WWF. The battle highlights the critical choices behind many conservation decisions

In a letter seen by the Herald, WWF said the program is misguided, and the $30 million in funding would be more wisely deployed elsewhere. Others have publicly described the plan as a ''vanity project''.

''Yes of course I have heard this term 'vanity project','' Ms Quan said. ''The criticisms have been coming for many years now, but we are doing the right thing for the animals, we are sure of that.''

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/environmentalists-and-investors-draw-claws-over-plan-20111016-1lrlj.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Fisherman killed by tiger in Sunderbans

2011-10-16T22:29:00.001-05:00

Ananya Dutta
KOLKATA, October 17, 2011

A fisherman was killed by a tiger deep inside the forests of the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve on Sunday.

Satyabrata Jana of Kultuli had gone fishing with four others in the Gazikhali forest area within the Sajnekhali wildlife sanctuary. They had spread their nets in the waters and were sitting on the land when a tiger attacked the group, Subrat Mukherjee, field director of Sunderban Tiger Reserve, told The Hindu over telephone.

“We have received reports of one person being killed by a tiger. They had gone fishing in the restricted area of the forest and did not have a permit for fishing,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

Since Mr. Jana was killed in the restricted areas of the forest, his family will not be eligible for the compensation that is given to victims of tiger attacks.

Illegal fishing in the restricted areas of the forest is a perennial problem that plagues the region and results in several incidents of man-animal conflict.

“The fishermen try their best to dodge the guards of the Forest Department and enter the restricted areas. Since they are flouting the rules they are not entitled to any compensation if any such incidents occur,” said Sarba Mondal, a resident of the Sunderban islands.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2543424.ece

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

3 Bor tigers can be rehabilitated: WII team

2011-10-16T22:15:00.001-05:00

Vijay PinjarkarVijay Pinjarkar, TNN Oct 17, 2011, 05.29AM IST

NAGPUR: Amid debate over proposed release of three rescued tigers in Bor wildlife sanctuary, 60km from Nagpur, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has submitted a positive report about their release.

After assessing the three tigers - two female and one male - a two-member WII team, consisting of scientist K Ramesh Kumar and veterinarian Dr Parag Nigam, said that the Bor tigers are good candidates for rehabilitation in the wild. The team had visited Bor on October 4. The team submitted the report to A K Saxena, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF), East, Nagpur, four days ago.

The WII team was accompanied by A Ashraf, chief conservator of forests (CCF) & field director, Pench. The members, who were in Bor for over two hours, said that the tigers were in good condition, even better than those released in Panna.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had sent the team only after principal secretary (forest), Maharashtra, Praveen Pardeshi continuously took up the matter before the authorities. This comes after the respective chief wildlife wardens and officials had written a series of letters to the NTCA but failed to elicit any response. This bureaucratic red tapism led to unwarranted delay in deciding the fate of these cubs, which were rescued from Dhaba forest range in Gondpipri in Chandrapur district in September 2009.

"Our first priority is to shift the Bor tigers to a bigger enclosure in Pench. Funds for this have already been sanctioned. Releasing the cubs into the wild doesn't come in our domain. The final decision in this regard will be taken only after consulting NTCA. Entire protocol will be followed," Saxena told TOI.

Wild life experts had claimed that the cubs were 14-months-old when found and hence, are over three years of age now. They look quite grown up. However, the WII team have fixed the age of the cubs at around two-and-half-years.

Initially, the tigers were kept in small cages for treatment in Chandrapur before being shifted to Bor on November 9, 2009, with an aim to rehabilitate them. It has been two years since, but neither serious efforts nor right steps were taken to see that the tigers were relocated successfully. The team also stressed the need for giving live feed to the tigers, which is not being made available.

NTCA joint director S P Yadav told TOI that the matter is under consideration and a committee has been constituted to examine the issues related to orphaned cubs in India, which will decide the fate of such cubs.

Pardeshi said, "WII and NTCA have been asked to give permission for the rehabilitation and only under their guidance, we will release the tigers into the wild."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/3-Bor-tigers-can-be-rehabilitated-WII-team/articleshow/10383247.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/

Zoo park stripped of striped beauty

2011-10-11T14:58:00.000-05:00

Hyderabad Posted on Oct 11, 2011 at 08:40am IST

HYDERABAD: At a time when the decreasing tiger count in the state has been of much concern, the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad lost Karuna, a 24-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger. The average life span of the Bengal Tiger is about 15-20 years. Karuna died of senility and multiple organ failure on Sunday.

The Nehru zoo park has 13 yellow tigers and 7 white tigers. The total number of tigers in AP zoos is about 46, including 7 yellow tigers and 9 white tigers at the Visakhapatnam zoo, 2 yellow tigers and 8 white tigers at the Tirupati zoo. The AP Forests and Wildlife Conservation department is setting out on yet another tiger count exercise from the first week of November which will continue till December-end.

“We will use hi-tech tracing cameras to get accurate statistics,” chief conservator of forests and chief wild life warden, Hitesh Malhotra said. Currently, 40 cameras are setup at the Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).

Two hundred more will be added to this number. Fifty cameras will be set up at the Kawal Sanctuary, recently recognised as the Kawal Tiger Reserve, according to the chief conservator of forests. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Compensatory Afforestation, Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) will arrange funds for the project.

AK Naik, conservator of forests of AP, who is leading Project Tiger, said the cameras will be installed in pairs at strategic points like water bodies in the forests. Whenever a tiger moves in the vicinity, sensors of the camera detect its presence and the photo is captured. Since each tiger has unique body stripes, the number of tigers in a particular area can be ascertained. As per the India tiger estimate 2010 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the number of tigers in the country is 1,706, while in Andhra Pradesh, it is seventy.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/zoo-park-stripped-of-striped-beauty/191885-60-121.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Film on R'bore tiger wins 3 awards in US

2011-10-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

Anindo DeyAnindo Dey, TNN Oct 11, 2011, 02.28AM IST

JAIPUR: In a rare laurel for Ranthambore National Park, a documentary film on a tiger at the park has recently won three awards including that of the 'best film award' at a film festival in Jackson Hole, US. The film christened 'Broken Tail' is the true story of a tiger in the park which had disappeared but survived in an unprotected hinterland for several months and eventually died after a train hit him. The film won three awards in separate categories for the best overall film, best conservation film and best presenter at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival (JHWFF).

Internationally renowned as the largest and most prestigious biennial competition of the nature genre, this year's festival that concluded on October 8 included 510 films from more than 30 countries in 800 categories. According to conservationist Aditya Singh of Ranthambore Bagh, who was part of the production crew in India, "Broken Tail was one of the two male cubs of Machali, Ranthambore's best know tigress. In the summer of 2000, sometime in April, Machali mated with a large male tiger called "Bamboo Ram" and three-and-a-half months later, she gave birth to her first litter of two male cubs called Broken Tail (because his tail was broken) and Slant Ear. By the end of December 2001, both these cubs separated from Machali and we never saw Slant Ear again," says Singh. The production team also included conservationist Dharmendra Khandal.

"For about a year-and-a-half, Broken Tail stayed in a small territory at the edge of Ranthambore National Park, not really a great neighbourhood for tigers. Somewhere in the summer of 2003, Broken Tail decided to leave Ranthambore and in August 2003, a passenger train ran over him, in Darrah sanctuary, nearly 100 miles away from Ranthambore. It took the forest department and everyone else, including us, over a year to realize that the tiger that was run down by the train was Broken Tail," he said. Directed by John Murray and Colin Stafford-Johnson, who spent about 600 days filming the documentary. Broken Tail had posed for the camera in his initial days, but one day it suddenly disappeared, abandoning the sanctuary.

Barely three-years-old then, Broken Tail had made an unprecedented 200 km trek across densely populated countryside while wildlife cameraman Stafford Johnson retraces the steps of the tiger. "Colin had come down to Ranthambore in 2005 to shoot a film for Tokyo Broadcasting Service and that is when he thought of doing a film on Broken Tail's journey. For the next four years, Colin, Salim Ali, one of Ranthambore's best guides, and I researched the film. This included tracking down the path that Broken Tail would have taken from Ranthambore to Darrah.

We did this by inputs from villagers, who had either seen him or whose cattle Broken Tail had killed, forest guards who had seen him or his pugmarks. We interviewed over 200 people including the train driver whose train ran the tiger down in a tunnel in Darrah. The actual filming started in 2009 and was over in 2010. However a lot of the footage was actually shot from 2001 onwards, when Broken Tail was a cub," he adds.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Film-on-Rbore-tiger-wins-3-awards-in-US/articleshow/10307317.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Four rare Sumatran tigers born at Oklahoma City Zoo

2011-10-10T00:47:00.000-05:00

BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL ccoppernoll@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: October 5, 2011

Four Sumatran tiger cubs have been born at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The cubs are the first Sumatran tigers born at the zoo, and officials nationwide are excited about the addition to the captive population. There are only 71 Sumatran tigers in North American zoos and about 230 in the wild.

The cubs are the first of their kind born at the zoo, and they're some of the rarest tigers in the world.

The cubs — one male and three females — will be on display from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

They were born July 9 and are the first for mother, Suriya, and father, Raguno. The cubs now weigh about 30 pounds each.

Officials waited three months to announce the birth of the tiger cubs because they didn't want to tell the public until the animals were outside on display, said Alan Varsik, assistant zoo director.

“People would want to come here to see them, and we wouldn't want to disappoint,” he said.

Keepers let the cubs briefly explore their outdoor habitat earlier this week, but Tuesday was their first full day outside as a family.

The outdoor area has plenty of rocks and drop-offs, so supervisors wanted to be sure the cubs were agile and coordinated enough to be safe, said Jonathan Reding, supervisor of Cat Forest and Lion Overlook

The cubs will stay with their mother until they mature at about 2 years old. From there, the tigers may stay in Oklahoma or be assigned to other zoos, Reding said.

The mating efforts lasted more than three years, Reding said. Keepers had to wait for just the right timing to partner the normally solitary animals.

“We've been very successful with other species,” Reding said. “But this one, we've been trying the hardest with. This is probably one of the most anticipated births that we've had.”

Only 71 Sumatran tigers live in captivity in North American zoos, and about 230 live in the wild, according to the Tiger Species Survival Plan, a nationwide breeding strategy designed to keep the captive tiger population healthy and genetically diverse.

The birth of the four Oklahoma City cubs is exciting, said Tara Harris, coordinator of the Tiger Species Survival Plan.

A thriving tiger population in captivity is sort of a genetic insurance policy for tigers in the wild, Harris said.

“Tiger populations in the wild are very endangered, and the threat of extinction is real,” Harris said.

“We know that three subspecies of tigers have already gone extinct in the last hundred years. With this critically endangered population of Sumatran tigers, we want to make sure we can prevent their extinction with this backup population.”

Harris said she would like to see the captive Sumatran tiger population grow to 150.

http://newsok.com/four-rare-sumatran-tigers-born-at-oklahoma-city-zoo/article/3610544

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Russian and US veterinarians collaborate to solve mysterious wild tiger deaths

2011-10-03T01:34:00.001-05:00

A camera trap image of a Siberian (Amur) tiger in the Russian Far East. A team of health experts from the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society and several Russian organizations have confirmed the presence of distemper in wild tiger populations, a finding that will enable conservationists to formulate measures to mitigate this recent threat. Credit: Image courtesy of WCS Russia

September 30, 2011

A' team of Russian veterinary colleagues and health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo are collaborating to understand how distemper -- a virus afflicting domestic dogs and many wildlife species -- may be a growing threat to Siberian (Amur) tigers.

The team presented its results at the first-ever Russian symposium on wildlife diseases held this week in the Russian Far East city of Ussurisk. The symposium underscores the growing recognition of the importance of the health sciences to successful wildlife conservation efforts.

Working at WCS's Wildlife Health Center at the Bronx Zoo, Russian health experts and WCS pathologists used histology along with PCR and DNA sequencing to confirm and characterize the infection in two wild Siberian tigers from the Russian Far East. This diagnosis provides long-awaited genetic confirmation of the fact that distemper is impacting wild tigers, which WCS and Russian colleagues first documented in 2003.

The collaboration will enable conservationists to formulate health measures to counter this latest threat to the world's largest cat.

The participants in the partnership included: Drs. Irina Korotkova and Galina Ivanchuk from the Primorskaya State Agricultural Academy; Elena Lyubchenko, county veterinarian for Ussuriski County, Drs. Anastasia Vysokikh and Mikhail Alshinetskiy from the Moscow Zoo; and Drs. Denise McAloose and Tracie Seimon from WCS.

Last year a tigress "Galia" -- studied by WCS researchers for eight years in Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve in the Russian Far East -- walked into the village of Terney. Galia displayed abnormal neurologic signs, seemingly unfazed by the new surrounding, appeared gaunt, and was searching for dogs as an easy meal. The tiger was shot by local police after several capture attempts failed. In November 2003, a similar event occurred when an otherwise healthy looking wild tigress walked into the village of Pokrovka in Khabarovski Krai. WCS staff working in the area immobilized the animal and worked with local Russian veterinarian Evgeny Slabe in treating the tiger, which later died in captivity. Samples for the diagnosis of distemper were collected only from these two animals.

Several other examples of tigers entering villages or stalling traffic on major roadways -- behavior possibly indicative of distemper -- have been reported in recent years.

"This exchange provides a foundation for elucidating potential disease threats to tigers in the Russian Far East," said Irina Korotkova of the Primorskaya Agricultural Academy. "Understanding the role of distemper in our wild Amur tiger population is vitally important."

Distemper is found worldwide in domestic dogs and has caused infection and death in wild species such as lynx and bobcats in Canada, Baikal seals in Russia, lions in the Serengeti ecosystem in Africa, and raccoons and the endangered black footed ferret in the United States.

"With all the threats facing Siberian tigers from poaching and habitat loss, relatively little research has been done on diseases that may afflict tigers," said Dale Miquelle, WCS Director of Russia Programs. "There are no records of tigers entering villages and behaving so abnormally before 2000, so this appears to be a new development and new threat. Understanding whether disease is a major source of mortality for Siberian tigers is crucial for future conservation efforts."

Anatoly Astafiev, Director of Sikhote-Alin Reserve, said, "We have seen a fall in tiger numbers within our reserve, so it is very important to know that at least one of the causes is a recognizable disease, something we may be able to address and potentially prevent."

Canine distemper is controlled in domestic dogs through vaccination. In Africa, massive vaccination campaigns of dogs in villages surrounding the Serengeti appear to have been effective in reducing the disease's impact on lions.

Dr. Denise McAloose, WCS's Chief Pathologist and leader of the investigation, said, "This is a great example of what international collaboration can achieve. Without our Russian associates there on the spot, knowing what samples to collect and how to preserve these specimens, samples would never have made it to our lab, and the cause of death would remain unknown. It's great that we're all here together to work on this issue as a team."

WCS is working with staff from the Primorskaya Agriculture Academy and other partners to establish a wildlife lab in Ussurisk to facilitate local diagnostic testing, although it will take several years until the lab is adequately funded and fully functional.

McAloose added: "Until then, there's still much to do including identifying the source of the disease."

It is still uncertain how tigers may have contracted the disease and whether it originated in another wild animal species or domestic dogs, both of which can act as reservoirs for the infection.

Latest reports suggest that fewer than 3,500 tigers remain in the wild; 1,000 are breeding females.

Provided by Wildlife Conservation Society

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-russian-veterinarians-collaborate-mysterious-wild.html

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Poor genetic diversity a threat to tigers, says study

2011-10-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

Krishnendu MukherjeeKrishnendu Mukherjee, TNN Oct 3, 2011, 03.59AM IST

KOLKATA: On her last legs, Machli - often called Ranthambore's matriarch for presiding over a majestic legacy of over a decade - can still make a tiger-lover crave for her glimpse. But her offsprings in the 400-500 sq km tiger abode in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district face a genetic threat that could hit the population hard in the long run.

While Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) was in news for a sudden population crash in 1992 and 2003, it assumes more significance in the light of a recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that says tiger population in the park has shown a loss of genetic diversity over the years. "RTR tiger population is showing loss of many alleles, which may be due to an isolated population without any genetic exchange," said WII's Dr S P Goyal, the investigator of the report - 'Tiger Genome: Implications In Wildlife Forensics'. Alleles are a group of genes that decide an animal's hair colour and immunity, among other characteristics.

The park's tiger population had crashed to 12 in 1992 and 13 in 2003. It bounced back to 31 in 2010 but Dharmendra Khandal, a conservation biologist, feels lower genetic diversity would prove to be a new threat.

"Urbanisation and fragmentation in tiger corridors are the reasons. Ranthambore tigers used to take the Chambal river route to reach Madhya Pradesh's Kuno. But flattening of the river banks stopped tiger dispersal between Ranthambore and MP, resulting in no gene flow between the two tiger populations," he said.

"Since Sariska has lost all its tigers, now the nearest tiger reserve from Ranthambore is over 800 km away, be it Bandhavgarh, Corbett or Satpura," Khandal said. According to tiger expert Valmik Thapar, a growing human population is leading to encroachment of large landscapes making the survival of many species difficult.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Poor-genetic-diversity-a-threat-to-tigers-says-study/articleshow/10213128.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Tourists throng tiger reserves on first day of season

2011-10-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

TNN Oct 2, 2011, 10.22AM IST

JAIPUR/ALWAR: Living up to expectations, the Ranthambore tiger reserve saw a huge turnout of tourists, after a three month hiatus, on the first day of the season. Tourism also increased at the Sariska tiger reserve with 55 persons, including eight foreigners, making their way into it.

According to forest department officials, "The mood was upbeat at Ranthambore right from the morning. Around 20 Gypsies and nine canters made their way into the park and it included the conservationist Valmik Thappar. The tourists in the morning session spotted a sloth bear and a tiger in the Lakarda zone."

The evening session saw 22 Gypsies and 14 canters making their way into the park. Some tourists on a Gypsy spotted a tigress in the evening session.

"It was a great day at the Ranthambore reserve. As every year on the first day of the season we welcome tourists with a tilak as they enter the park and it happened this year too. The system of checking identity card was enforced and no fake booking was detected. They even managed to spot a tiger, T-16, in the morning session," said UM Sahai, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

In Sariska some confusion prevailed when officials stopped Gypsies from going into the park saying only canters will be allowed inside. The Gypsy owners potested and even sent a protest letter to the Union minister of state for home Jeetendra Singh.

Accordind to Puranmal, a Gypsy owner, "In 2009, we were called by the then DFO Sudershan Sharma and were lured into buying Gypsies as he felt that the localites must get the benefit from the reserve. We had then bought our Gypsies and were even promised that we would be allowed to ply our vehicles for a long time. But this change in directives has been a blow to us. We will not allow the canters to ply under any condition."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Tourists-throng-tiger-reserves-on-first-day-of-season/articleshow/10204250.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Mahabaleshwar farmers oppose tiger reserve

2011-10-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

TNN Oct 3, 2011, 02.05AM IST

PUNE: Thousands of farmers in Mahabaleshwar gathered on Sunday afternoon to oppose the Sahyadri Tiger Project, which was initiated last year by combining the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park in Satara as they fear it would hamper developmental activities. The meeting was held at Taldeo village, about 15 kms from Mahabaleshwar.

Balasaheb Bhilare, member of the Satara Zilla Parishad, said, "The tiger reserve project is most likely to affect people of Patan, Javali and Mahabaleshwar. For us, the only source of income is farming and tourism. If our lands are marked under the reserve, farming activities will stop and the affected families will have to find new sources of income."

The villagers also posed the question of security before the guardian minister. Bhilare said, "What security would villagers around the reserve get? They will be most exposed to the reserve and if animals walk into the village, it will pose a danger to them."

The conservation plan, which was declared by the state government last year, will come up in an area of 740.5 sq km spread across the districts of Satara, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur and Sangli. The tiger reserve will focus on conservation of habitat, breeding of tigers and ensure food and water availability for tigers.

Pramod Shelar, president of the Mahabaleshwar Taluka Sarpanch Sanghtna, said, "When farmers and villagers need to construct a house, there are several restrictions imposed. At the same time, the government is giving space for animals when human populations are multiplying every year. The government has still not relocated villagers displaced by the Koyna dam. The same situation will prevail with the tiger project as well."

The land for the reserve is divided into buffer and core areas. The core area will not have human habitation, while in the buffer areas animals and humans can coexist. The reserve includes 83 villages in both the sanctuaries that cover four districts - Satara, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur and Sangli. Many villagers have already been shifted and the remaining will be relocated soon.

Meanwhile, Nimbalkar has assured villagers that the issues will be taken up and discussed with the government and a solution will be arrived at after a proper study.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Mahabaleshwar-farmers-oppose-tiger-reserve/articleshow/10212375.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org

6 tiger cubs are Melghat's new guests

2011-10-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

Vijay PinjarkarVijay Pinjarkar Oct 3, 2011, 03.58AM IST

NAGPUR: While recent lynching of Navegaon National Park tigress in Bhakru Tola in Chhattisgarh by a furious mob came as a rude shock, there is a good news from Melghat - sighting of six new cubs has thrilled wildlife buffs and officials.

"In the past couple of months, tigresses with two cubs (around 6-8 months) each have been recorded in camera traps by the field staff in Sonala range in Ambabarwa wildlife sanctuary, part of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), Dhakna and Raipur ranges," revealed an overjoyed AK Mishra, field director and chief conservator of forests (CCF), MTR.

He adds, two months ago, driver of a forest vehicle sighted a tiger with a kill in Semadoh tourism zone. He also recorded the movements on his mobile. However, several such claims are not considered unless authenticated.

Tigers have always remain elusive in MTR, fondly called as the 'Kipling Country' and known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys. Sighting of cubs in three places at a time makes big news in Melghat. Till now, such reports in the region could be heard only from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district which has a distinction of producing 12-15 tiger cubs every year.

Melghat, where sighting of tigers is like cracking jokes, has made a major turnaround over the last two years. The last such record of tiger sighting was in February 2009 from Narnala where a tigress with three cubs was sighted. "With the new additions, we expect tiger numbers to go up to 50-55," Mishra says. However, the NTCA-WII estimation of 2010 puts the tiger count in Melghat at 39.

About the success, Mishra says strengthening protection and group patrolling, awareness among villagers by distributing pamphlets and educating them and imposing curbs on grazing have led to improving the situation.

"Controlling forest fires is our big successes. From 7.5% with 401 cases, the number of incidents has been brought down to 3.2% with 177 cases," said Mishra.

"In the past two years, we seized around 500 cattle and filed cases in the court against illicit grazers. Such measures are yielding results," Mishra says. The field director said relocation of three villages - Barukheda, Amona and Nagartas in Wan sanctuary and partial relocation of Vairat and Churni villages in Melghat sanctuary has also helped in reducing grazing pressure of 4,500 cattle.

In 2006, MTR in Amravati was rated as 'poor'. However, in 2011, it has bounced back and has been graded as 'good' by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The result of 2011 management effective evaluation (MEE) puts MTR in line with high-profile reserves like Corbett, Dudhwa, Ranthambore and Manas.

Even tiger conservationist Kishore Rithe, who works in Melghat, admits protection mechanism has been revamped and is very systematic despite shortage of trained and good staff. "Villages in core are willing to resettle. If MTR hands over tourism management to communities, it will help improve livelihoods and thus increase public support for tigers," he adds.

Melghat's sweet success

* Better protection measures, foot patrolling monitoring mechanism

* Resettlement of 3 villages done in 2001-02 and 5 (two partially) in 2010

* Getting young forest guards posted in sensitive areas

* Concentrating on threats like overgrazing, encroachments and forest fires

The area

MTR 1,676.93 sq km

Gugamal NP 361.28 sq km

Melghat WS 788.75 sq km

Wan WS 211 sq km

Ambabarwa 127.11 sq km

Narnala WS 12.35 sq km

Buffer Zone & MUA 1,268 sq km

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/6-tiger-cubs-are-Melghats-new-guests/articleshow/10213121.cms

http://www.bigcatrescue.org